Hong Kong plumber Anson Hui Po-lung is ready to work through his Lunar New Year break to make ends meet, after struggling since the citywide removal of scaffolding nets began in early December, in response to the deadly blaze at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court. Twenty public housing projects and 230 private buildings undergoing major…
Government social workers supporting survivors of Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po fire are struggling to manage their “indefinite” duties, with poor communication about new initiatives compounding the stress of their already heavy caseloads. Several social workers, including a union leader, told the South China Morning Post that they needed clarity from authorities on their roles…
Some elderly residents facing eviction from a block of subdivided flats in Hong Kong have expressed concerns that they could lose their jobs if forced to relocate to allow for their landlords to upgrade the homes to comply with new regulations. Residents of Sham Shui Po’s Yee Wa Building were previously told they needed to…
Hong Kong authorities are “very concerned” about subdivided flat tenants facing eviction from a Cheung Sha Wan building by March, after the landlord’s plans to upgrade the premises to comply with new rules left dozens in need of temporary housing. The Housing Bureau said on Monday that it was in contact with 109 households in…
A residential site, originally earmarked for a pilot scheme allowing private developers to build subsidised homes, will be allocated to Hong Kong’s second-largest public housing provider, marking the latest setback for a venture aimed at boosting the supply of affordable flats. The government said on Tuesday that the site in Tung Chung, originally designated for…
There are matters we need to sort out quickly arising from the Tai Po fire tragedy but also systemic issues that need to be tackled if we are to avoid a repeat of the disaster. The fact is that Hong Kong faces two sorts of ageing problems: old buildings and the old people who live…
A Hong Kong welfare group has dropped a controversial policy barring displaced Tai Po fire residents in its temporary accommodation from taking in-room appliances and furniture when they move out. SideBySide made the U-turn hours after an outcry from affected residents, who argued that the ban was unreasonable because the items had been donated to…
Ambiguous rules, lax supervision and uncoordinated policies involving at least four departments are among some deep-rooted problems contributing to the inferno that killed 160 residents in Hong Kong, analysts have said, as the Post reviewed what went wrong. Some industry insiders also questioned whether housing authorities, who oversee a lesser-known independent checking unit, should have…
Steel bars have been brought in to reinforce the structure of one of the fire-ravaged blocks in Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong, while investigations into the catastrophic blaze are expected to go on for two to three weeks. The Post observed on Monday afternoon a crane lifting bundles of steel bars above…
Contractors in Hong Kong are racing to tear down scaffolding nets used for estate renovation works to meet the government’s end-Saturday deadline, but some admit they will need more time. An industry representative on Saturday estimated that work at all sites across the city would only be completed by early next week, given the tight…