Hong Kong gov’t deploys 100-strong team to explain long-term resettlement policy to Tai Po fire victims

2026-03-02 - 09:36

The Hong Kong government has deployed a 100-strong team from multiple departments to explain the buyout plan and long-term resettlement offers to the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court flat owners. According to a government statement on Monday, a cross-departmental “engage team,” led by the Housing Bureau, was established to help homeowners understand various resettlement options. The government launches an engagement team to explain long-term housing policies for Wang Fuk Court victims in March 2, 2026. Photo: GovHK. The team members come from the Housing Bureau, the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Security Bureau, and the Development Bureau. They will contact Wang Fuk Court flat owners starting this week through referrals from government social workers, the government said. Writing on Facebook on Monday, Housing chief Winnie Ho said that “the team is to explain [the plan], not to hard-sell. It is to ensure that residents have sufficient information.” Ho added that the team members had received “intensive training” to make sure they have a clear understanding of the plan for fire victims. The government also announced that an enquiry hotline for the long-term housing arrangements commenced operation on Monday. A fatal blaze broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a government-subsidised residential complex in Tai Po, killing 168 people and displacing more than 4,000 others – many of whom are living temporarily in transitional housing or youth hostels. The government announced on February 21, nearly three months after the fire, that it would spend up to HK$6.8 billion to acquire property titles from flat owners of Wang Fuk Court, either in cash or as part of a flat swap. It said HK$4 billion would be financed by taxpayers and the remaining HK$2.8 billion would come from the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, largely made up of donations from private entities and individuals. Wang Fuk Court residential buildings after the fire. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The government said it would not give victims the option of rebuilding the estate on the same site, which some had hoped for. In late February, pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho asked Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong how the government would handle the “holdouts” – those refusing to sell their titles. Wong replied that the government would consider the “holdouts” on a compassionate basis and would decide whether to pass legislation to handle the issue.