The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors has called on the government to introduce dedicated legislation and a new statutory body to fast-track the buy-back of Wang Fuk Court flats after the deadly fire, clearing the way for residents’ resettlement. Former president of the institute Chiu Kam-kuen, now chairman of its Housing Policy Panel, estimated that…
One way or another, the aftermath of the tragic Tai Po fire is going to dominate Hong Kong’s political life throughout the coming year, possibly for the whole of the new Legislative Council term. In the closing stages of the recently completed election, candidates pledged their support for recovery efforts. There is no reason to…
Hong Kong authorities have expressed confidence in swiftly identifying a location in Tai Po to build subsidised flats as part of resettlement options being reviewed for victims left homeless by the deadly inferno last month. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun on Saturday outlined several options to resettle displaced residents in Wang Fuk Court, while…
Hong Kong’s largest political party has proposed five relief options for those displaced by the Tai Po fire, such as a government buy-back of ruined homes and community redevelopment, after gathering views from more than 1,000 Wang Fuk Court residents. The party’s 20 elected lawmakers and two of its district councillors on Wednesday met the…
The issue of property rights and gaining consensus from more than 2,000 households of Hong Kong’s blaze-ravaged Wang Fuk Court will complicate rebuilding efforts, lawmakers and building experts have warned as new sites for redevelopment are proposed. Legislative Council members said on Tuesday that authorities should listen widely to the views of Wang Fuk Court…
Hong Kong mother Moon Li was just HK$65,000 (US$8,350) away from paying off the mortgage on the flat she and her husband bought 17 years ago, but a deadly blaze at their Tai Po estate may have shattered her dream of owning a home. “I used to have a cosy home,” the 40-year-old clinic assistant…
The eight milk tea-coloured towers of Wang Fuk Court were special sentinels to many locals in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. Residents say that whenever they saw the blocks emerging into view on the northern-bound left side of Tolo Highway on their daily commute after work, they knew they were back home. Home was their…
The eight milk tea-coloured towers of Wang Fuk Court were special sentinels to many locals in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. Residents say that whenever they saw the blocks emerging into view on the northern-bound left side of Tolo Highway on their daily commute after work, they knew they were back home. Home was their…
The government should take the lead in assessing the structural safety of the estate engulfed by Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades before deciding whether it should be restored or redeveloped, experts have said, warning of liability problems and a long road ahead. The future of Wang Fuk Court, where a massive fire raged through…
Hong Kong Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho attends press conference at the Central Government Offices in Hong Kong on Sept 19, 2025. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY) Hastening urban renewal is a major focus of land development initiatives in this year’s Policy Address, as it is moving relatively slowly in Hong Kong due to…