Hong Kong to include unscathed block in Tai Po fire resettlement plan after 75% homeowners opt for buyback

Homeowners of the only block spared in the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze in Tai Po will be included in the Hong Kong government's resettlement plan after three-quarters indicated a preference to sell their flats to authorities, the South China Morning Post has learned. Wang Chi House, the only one of the estate's eight blocks left unscathed by the November 26 fire that killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000, was originally excluded from the government's long-term resettlement proposals unveiled in February. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun said at the time that authorities would consider acquiring flats in Wang Chi House if owners could reach a "high degree of consensus." A source told the SCMP on Tuesday that the government decided to include the block in the plan after resident feedback showed that 75 per cent of homeowners indicated a preliminary preference to join the buy-back scheme. Under the original proposal, the government would spend about HK$6.8 billion (US$870 million) to buy back homes damaged in the deadly Tai Po fire from flat owners, offering HK$8,000 or HK$10,500 per square foot as part of a long-term resettlement plan involving HK$4 billion in public funds. Residents could opt for a cash buyout or a "flat-for-flat" arrangement, allowing them to exchange their homes for new subsidised flats at 10 designated projects under the Housing Authority or the Housing Society through a special sales exercise.