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 residents left homeless by the deadly inferno last month.
Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun on Saturday outlined several options to resettle the displaced residents of Wang Fuk Court, while underscoring the importance of first gauging their views at this stage.
Among the options on the table were purchasing property rights from homeowners, prioritising displaced residents for subsidised flats under the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS), building new flats in Tai Po and allowing those eligible to live in public housing.
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Wong, who heads the government task force on providing emergency accommodation for those affected by the blaze, said the government originally had no plan to build any subsidised flats in Tai Po in the next few years but this could change following the tragedy.
“We have looked into this, and we are confident that we can find a place in Tai Po to build these units as soon as possible,” he said.
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Wong said it usually took about five years to complete an HOS project from scratch. He said he was confident the government could speed up the process but stopped short of offering a time frame.