HONG KONG — Hong Kong officers on Saturday unveiled resettlement plans for 1000’s of people that had been displaced by the deadliest blaze in many years final November, proposing to purchase again the homeownership rights from the hearth victims.
Nearly three months after the huge blaze unfold throughout seven residence buildings in Wang Fuk Court docket, its former occupants have been residing in uncertainty about after they would discover someplace they might name residence once more.
A lot of them are adjusting to new lives of their momentary houses scattered throughout numerous districts, with the federal government providing rental grants to assist owners pay for the short-term lodging.
Officers stated in a information convention on Saturday that owners of the seven buildings can promote their possession rights for money to safe lodging of their alternative or purchase an residence below a delegated authorities coverage. Residents preferring to not take care of a considerable amount of money can immediately trade an residence below the coverage.
The federal government estimated that purchasing again the rights of some 1,700 models would value about 6.8 billion Hong Kong {dollars} ($870 million), with about 4 billion Hong Kong {dollars} ($512 million) of that sum to be from public funds and the remainder to be lined by a aid fund. The quantity of public funds concerned may ultimately be lowered, factoring in insurance coverage compensation.
Michael Wong, town’s Deputy Monetary Secretary, stated the administration was inclined to dismantle the seven buildings and wouldn’t redevelop residential houses on the hearth website. It could possibly be reworked right into a park or group amenities as a substitute.
Wong stated there is no affordable or cost-effective strategy to restore the broken buildings, and if the federal government would not intervene, it is going to be onerous for owners to seek out patrons out there.
“In different phrases, the funds they’ve invested in these models over time may flip to nothing,” he stated.
The federal government goals to contact the owners in March and hopes to pay the house owners within the third quarter of this 12 months, he stated, whereas those that go for the residence trade program may begin selecting new houses in September.
The proposals got here after affected residents had been surveyed about their preferences. Wong stated 74% of the respondents had been prepared to contemplate promoting their possession rights to the federal government. Some 9% of those that answered the survey stated they’d solely settle for redevelopment on the fireplace website, which the federal government anticipated to take a couple of decade, he stated.
The blaze killed 168 individuals on Nov. 26, 2025, and has shattered a close-knit group within the suburban district of Tai Po. Authorities blamed substandard scaffold netting and foam boards utilized in a upkeep venture for quickly spreading the hearth. Though some arrests had been made, an impartial committee continues to be investigating the trigger.
