Wah Fu move-out date, allowances sorted

Around 900 units in the aging Wah On House and Wah Lok House are targeted to be vacated by July 2027 for the first phase of Wah Fu Estate redevelopment, according to the Housing Authority.

The 1,208 units in the new public housing project on Wah King Street will be sufficient to accommodate all 895 affected households, who can split into two or more households if necessary, subsidized housing committee chairman Cleresa Wong Pie-yue said yesterday.

The remaining flats will be available for tenant relocation in the next phase, she added.

The redevelopment project will be carried out in three phases, expected to be completed by 2041, with 8,920 public housing units in five new Pok Fu Lam sites, offering about 21,120 flats.

Under phase 1, the Wah King Street site will be ready for occupation in late 2026, a year earlier than previously scheduled. Tenants can either move to the new estate or have priority to buy Home Ownership Scheme or Green Form Subsidized Home Ownership Scheme flats.

The authority will offer removal allowances of HK$10,030 to HK$31,910, depending on the number of occupants in a household, involving a total of HK$24.9 million.

One-person and two-person households can also choose to receive a cash allowance of HK$78,500 and HK$95,800, respectively, in lieu of transferring to new public rental housing.

Wong said the authority has established a service team to provide assistance for about 180 elderly tenants, including paying home visits to see if they have any special requirements or suffer from anxiety.

Additionally, eligible commercial tenants in the two buildings will be offered an allowance equivalent to 15 times the monthly rent as specified in the tenancy agreement applicable on the date of clearance.

A Housing Department source said all 23 affected commercial tenants are eligible for the allowance.

They will also be given the opportunity to participate in restricted tender exercises for shop stalls in the markets. Successful bidders will be given a three-month rent-free period under the new tenancy.

"If the eligible tenants give up the restricted tender opportunity, they will be granted a lump sum payment of HK$125,000 instead," the source said.

Wong assured: "After the demolition of the two blocks, there will still be about 130 shops in the estate. Residents won't need to worry about purchasing daily necessities."

For other sites in phase 1, the anticipated intake date of Wah Lok Path site in 2027 to 2028 will remain unchanged, while that of Wah Fu North site has been postponed from the second half of 2028 to the first half of 2030 due to unforeseen underground conditions and technical difficulties, the source said.

Some tenants hope to move out soon, citing the seriousness of concrete spalling, but feel reluctant to leave the warm neighborhood.

"Neighbors often offer a hand when I face difficulties, such as repairing my refrigerator or carrying goods for me for free," said store owner Chan, who has been rooted in the estate for nearly 40 years.

Southern district councillor Cheung Wai-nam hopes the authority will assist the elderly in filling out the registration forms.

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com