Homeowners to receive $100,000 subsidy as Wang Fuk Court support fund reaches $3.4b

Homeowners at Wang Fuk Court will each receive a one-off HK$100,000 subsidy as part of the government’s ongoing relief measures following the catastrophic fire in Tai Po, Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing announced on Wednesday.

Cheuk said the “Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po” has amassed about HK$3.4 billion to date, including roughly HK$3.1 billion from public donations and the government’s HK$300 million seed money.

He said the subsidy was introduced to support owners whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the fire, particularly those who relied on rental income but are now unable to cover daily expenses.

He noted that affected owners are facing “financial pressure and losses,” and the government aims to ease this immediate burden.

Cheuk said around HK$460 million from the fund has already been allocated to various relief measures, leaving approximately HK$2.8 billion in reserve.

These disbursements include condolence payments and funeral support for families of the deceased, living subsidies for affected households, and assistance for the injured and other impacted groups such as foreign domestic workers, students and building workers.

He stressed that the distribution of relief is an ongoing process and that the government will consider new support schemes if additional needs emerge. Should funds remain after immediate assistance is completed, he said authorities would explore how the remaining resources could support long-term housing concerns for Wang Fuk Court residents.

When asked whether the same aid mechanism would be applied in future incidents, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said each case must be evaluated independently.

She noted that the Tai Po fire was unprecedented in scale and impact, and therefore required “special handling” and maximum flexibility. She emphasized that the government should focus on preventing such disasters rather than pre-emptively planning how to repeat the same mechanism.

She added that the newly formed investigation and regulatory task force aims specifically to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Cheuk also outlined details of the public donations received so far. The fund has recorded about 257,000 donations under HK$10,000, alongside 170 donations exceeding HK$5 million.

He said that starting next week, the government will begin processing receipts for donors. Those who contributed HK$50,000 or less through bank transfer will only need to retain their transaction records for verification in order to receive tax deductions.

He further explained that the fund will be overseen by a steering committee chaired by him, comprising policy bureau heads and department chiefs from labor, education, housing and health portfolios. The Director of Accounting Services will serve as the fund’s accountant. The fund’s accounts will be submitted to the Audit Commission and reported to the Legislative Council to ensure transparency and public accountability.

Cheuk stressed that all administrative and implementation expenses incurred by government departments in supporting the fund’s work will be absorbed by their own operational budgets.

He said these costs “will not be charged back to the fund,” ensuring that all donations go directly to supporting victims and affected households.