Hong Kong NGO offers HK$30,000 to Tai Po fire victims who transfer property

Tung Wah Group of Hospitals also reveals that more than 1,000 inquiries have been received regarding its legal aid scheme

Hong Kong’s largest non-profit organisation, the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, will give HK$30,000 (US$3,827) to residents displaced by the deadly Tai Po fire who agree to transfer ownership of their flats to the government, its chief executive has said.

Albert Su Yau-on also revealed on Sunday that more than 1,000 inquiries had been received regarding the group’s legal aid scheme for Wang Fuk Court residents, following the November blaze that killed 168 people and displaced about 5,000 others.

Su said the new measure was introduced in response to feedback from residents who expressed a desire for financial support to help them settle into new homes.

“If they can show us that they have a new place to live after selling their property title, be it buying a new private property, renting a flat or other arrangements to start a new life in a new place, we will give each household HK$30,000,” he said on a radio show.

The money was intended to support long-term resettlement, and residents could use the funds as they saw fit, whether for furniture, renovation work or other needs, he added.

A resident from Wang Kin House, surnamed Li, said that while he appreciated the offer, he still did not have enough information to make a decision on whether to sell his flat to the government.