Hong Kong official softens stance on rebuilding homes at Tai Po fire site

Hong Kong’s deputy finance chief has softened his stance on resettlement options for people displaced by the deadly Tai Po fire, pledging to take residents’ wishes into account days after calling on-site redevelopment “not practical”. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun said on Monday that rehousing the residents of the blaze-hit Wang Fuk Court estate would be handled “with compassion, reason and in accordance with the law”. Wong, who chairs a government task force on emergency accommodation arrangements for those affected by the fire, said: “[We will] take into account the individual circumstances and wishes of the residents, while also ensuring the proper use of resources and public funds. “We will actively and pragmatically seek the fastest, most practical solution that best serves the interests of all parties to help the affected families rebuild their homes.” The devastating fire that broke out on November 26 and swept through seven of the estate’s eight residential blocks claimed 161 lives and displaced about 5,000 residents. Five students from kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools were among the dead, the Education Bureau revealed on Monday. Wong made the comments in a social media post after meeting lawmakers and district councillors from the Federation of Trade Unions, which called for extending the distribution of rent subsidies to displaced homeowners and allowing households consisting of elderly residents only to apply for public rental housing. Wong had said on Saturday that in situ rebuilding of Wang Fuk Court was “not really very practical”, drawing criticism from some residents for causing confusion. In a questionnaire sent out to gauge the long-term rehousing preferences of Wang Fuk Court flat owners just one day earlier, in situ redevelopment was one of the options offered by the government. The survey covers nine rehousing options, including redeveloping Wang Fuk Court by 2035 at the earliest. A previous petition calling for on-site development collected more than 800 signatures. Wong had suggested repurposing the site for community facilities instead of housing, citing overseas examples where the locations of similar tragedies were rarely redeveloped for residential use. He also noted that rebuilding on the original site would necessitate a minimum of nine to 10 years due to acquisition and demolition. In contrast, alternative locations such as Chung Nga Road West in Tai Po could be prepared for occupation by 2029. Gary Chan Hak-kan, head of Hong Kong’s largest political party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, earlier on Monday urged authorities to respect the deep-rooted community ties of residents displaced by the inferno, amid growing concerns that the government might rule out the option of rebuilding on the original site. Chan said that while Wang Fuk Court residents had different demands, the mainstream view was to move them into new housing as quickly as possible. “I personally feel that certain views must be respected – for instance, those who want to maintain community ties or have an emotional attachment to that place. These are the victims’ genuine thoughts,” he told a radio programme. “But if the government were to rule out the original site entirely, they shouldn’t have included it as an option in the survey.” Chan noted that Wong’s comments on Saturday were likely to have been made “out of goodwill” and reflected the reality that many victims wanted new housing quickly, but he stressed that the emotional weight of the site must not be dismissed. “He has grasped the mindset of most victims who want a quick solution. As for whether to rebuild on the original site, I believe there are also time considerations to be made,” Chan said. He added that the most important thing was for the survey results to be released as soon as possible to determine what the majority wanted and the direction to follow. A Wang Fuk Court resident, surnamed Cheung, challenged the official stance that on-site reconstruction would be excessively time-consuming. He told another radio show that residents had conducted their own research and noted that in 1953, 21 blocks were built in just eight years using 70-year-old technology, following the Shek Kip Mei fire, while in 2025, Shanghai’s Pengpu New Village project demolished 40 buildings and rebuilt 17 in just four years. “We only have about seven or eight blocks. If our technology is so backward that we need double the time to do half the work, the government should go to Shanghai to learn and improve,” Cheung said. Vincent Ho Kui-yip, president of the Hong Kong Institute of Building Safety, said rebuilding on the original site was still possible but would be extremely difficult. “It involves navigating complex legal issues such as property titles and insurance, and even after reaching a consensus with residents, further discussions on the redevelopment design would be required,” he said. “Due to the big challenges in demolishing the fire-damaged buildings, the construction phase alone is expected to take at least six years.” Ho said that even with on-site reconstruction, it would be difficult for flat designs to be identical to the original Wang Fuk Court homes, so residents would have to make certain compromises and bear the risks of future fluctuations in property prices. Additional reporting by William Yiu

Hong Kong official softens stance on rebuilding homes at Tai Po fire site

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Deputy finance chief Michael Wong pledges to take residents’ wishes into account days after saying redevelopment was ‘not practical’

Deputy finance chief Michael Wong pledges to take residents’ wishes into account days after saying redevelopment was ‘not practical’