Hong Kong authorities have said they will extend their buyout plan to include flats in the only Wang Fuk Court block unaffected by the deadly fire if three-quarters of the owners agree to sell their properties. Hong Kong Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong addresses the Legislative Council on January 14, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong announced the plan at a press conference on Tuesday, around two months after the government unveiled the initial buyout plan covering the housing estate’s seven fire-hit buildings but not Wang Chi House.
The buyout price for Wang Chi House will be consistent with the seven other blocks, at HK$8,000 or HK$10,500 per square foot, depending on whether the premiums for the homes have been paid.
Wong also said a preliminary survey suggested that 77 per cent of Wang Chi House residents were willing to sell their homes to the government for cash or move into another government-subsidised estate under a flat-exchange exercise.
“We do think that the proposal is a good one for them… but it doesn’t mean we would like to force them to accept the proposal. At the end of the day, it is their decision,” he said.
“But we do think that what we have on the table is very reasonable and should actually be quite attractive.” He said that owners faced a slew of difficulties and uncertainties, including the wait before they could move back into the Tai Po housing estate, as well as matters involving the land agreement and deed, high maintenance costs, and complex insurance matters. Residents of Wang Fuk Court return to their homes on April 23, 2026, to collect what is left of their personal belongings after a massive blaze that killed 168 people in their housing estate. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Some owners had concerns about the emotional toll of moving back into the estate and about drops in property value, he added. The total cost of buying out 248 units at Wang Chi House will be about HK$1 billion, he said.
Threshold
Wong said that a government liaison team had reached out to 99 per cent of Wang Chi House flat owners, 77 per cent of whom were willing to sell their flats to the government.
“We believe the 75 per cent threshold adequately reflects the requirement of a high degree of consensus,” Wong said.
Speaking at the same press conference, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho said 14 per cent of Wang Chi House flat owners were still considering the offer, while the remaining 9 per cent were not willing to sell their properties.
Those who agree to the buyout will have to sign and submit a letter of acceptance to the government. Those who do so before June 30 will be given special priority to choose another flat offered by the government, while the deadline for expressing interest has been set for August 31. A resident in Wang Sun House, Wang Fuk Court on April 20, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. While the government respects private property rights, it would also offer the buyout option if the threshold is reached, the deputy minister said.
If the final number of purchasing agreements does not meet the threshold, the government “has the right” to roll back the buyout scheme.
Wong said in February that the government would look into whether special legislation would be needed to handle the cases of owners who refuse to sell their property rights.
However, on Tuesday, he said the authorities had yet to come up with a concrete legislative plan. He vowed that the government would proceed by adhering to the principle of respecting private property rights under Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and offer compensation for buyouts.