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Hong Kong leader John Lee has said that a “significant proportion” of homeowners at the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court are willing to consider a government buyout, while some are adopting a wait-and-see approach.

“Each household has its own circumstances and needs, and there are also diverse opinions in society,” Lee told reporters on Tuesday ahead of a meeting with the Executive Council, the government’s advisory body.

“The government must carefully consider and deal with various views and take into account very practical issues,” including the appropriate use of public resources, allocation of public funds, distribution of housing resources, and legal ownership responsibilities, the chief executive also said.

A fire broke out at the Tai Po housing estate on November 26 last year, killing 168 people and displacing nearly 5,000 residents.

In a questionnaire distributed to flat owners last month, the government floated nine permanent rehousing options for Wang Fuk Court homeowners, including cross-district “flat-for-flat” relocation, in-district relocation, and on-site redevelopment. It also asked whether they would accept a buyout.

Lee said on Tuesday that the questionnaire indicated that a “significant proportion” of homeowners expressed willingness to consider the government’s acquisition of their ownership rights, while “some owners have indicated that they have to look at the actual acquisition price.”

However, he did not provide any figures from the questionnaire.

The results of the survey are not binding on any of the government’s future decisions on resettlement, said Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong, who chairs a government task force on emergency resettlement for Wang Fuk Court survivors.

The government has previously said that some HK$2 billion expected to remain in a dedicated fire relief support fund will go towards the Wang Fuk Court property buyout, which is estimated to cost around HK$6 billion in total.

The price of the buyout is based on the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors? estimates: units with unpaid land premiums are valued at around HK$6,000 per square foot, while units with paid premiums are valued at around HK$8,000.

However, some owners have expressed concerns that the buyout would undervalue their flats.

A Wang Fuk Court homeowner surnamed Lee told HKFP on Tuesday that he would lose more than HK$1 million if he agreed to the buyout.

See also: Residents of fire-hit estate urge accountability, compensation as review committee holds first public meeting

“Why wasn’t it mentioned how many per cent of people support the buyout?” he asked, questioning whether it was indeed a popular option among homeowners.

The chief executive also said on Tuesday that the rehousing efforts may use public funds.

“We may have to use some public funding. The government will prudently make assessments and make appropriate arrangements to ensure that public funds are used effectively, striking a balance between the needs of the residents and the reasonable use of public funds.”

To address potential delays caused by ownership-related responsibilities and legal disputes, he has instructed Wong?s task force to study the feasibility of solutions and legal issues, as well as to seek advice from the Department of Justice.

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x James Lee is a reporter at Hong Kong Free Press with an interest in culture and social issues. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Journalism from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he witnessed the institution’s transformation over the course of the 2019 extradition bill protests and after the passing of the Beijing-imposed security law.

Since joining HKFP in 2023, he has covered local politics, the city’s housing crisis, as well as landmark court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial. He was previously a reporter at The Standard where he interviewed pro-establishment heavyweights and extensively covered the Covid-19 pandemic and Hong Kong’s political overhauls under the national security law.

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