Nearly 98% of Hong Kong high-rise blaze flat owners accept government buyout

Nearly every flat owner at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court has accepted the government’s plan to buy back homes damaged in the November 2025 blaze. The Housing Bureau said 97.7% of owners, representing 1,939 households, had returned signed letters of acceptance by noon on Aug. 30.

Owners can choose to sell their flats for cash or take part in a “flat-for-flat” arrangement under the government’s long-term settlement plan. By the same date, the government had signed sale-and-purchase agreements with 1,541 households, equal to 77.7% of the estate.

The bureau urged owners who intend to sell but had not yet responded to submit their signed letters by 5 p.m. on Aug. 31. They could hand them to designated engagement-team members or send them by post, hand delivery or courier. The engagement team increased its efforts to contact owners who had not responded as the deadline approached.

The fire on Nov. 26 devastated seven of Wang Fuk Court’s eight blocks and killed 168 people. In February, the government said it would spend HK$6.8 billion to buy back all the flats from their owners.