Survey launched on long-term rehousing plans for Hong Kong fire victims

Hong Kong authorities have launched a survey to gauge the long-term rehousing preferences of flat owners displaced by the devastating Tai Po blaze, offering nine options for new subsidised homes, including redeveloping the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court by 2035 at the earliest.

But some owners said on Friday that the acquisition prices the government had estimated for their flats were too low while suggesting officials also include the option of providing subsidies for them to buy second-hand homes.

The nine rehousing options in the survey, seen by the Post, comprise six ongoing projects under the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) outside Tai Po, two sites earmarked for such flats in the district and an on-site rebuilding plan.

“If residents wish to redevelop the Wang Fuk Court site in Tai Po, they will have to wait for the acquisition of all property rights, followed by demolition and reconstruction works, a process expected to take about nine to 10 years before they can move in,” the survey said.

The estimated timeline emerged days after about 200 displaced residents submitted a petition to the government expressing their hope for in-situ redevelopment.

The inferno broke out on November 26, engulfing seven of Wang Fuk Court’s eight residential blocks. The fire claimed 161 lives, injured 79, and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. As of Friday, 4,400 residents were living in government-coordinated emergency accommodation.