Lawmakers on Monday urged the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to adopt a flexible approach and speed up efforts to rehouse residents of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, who were displaced by a deadly fire on Nov 26.

They made the remarks during a special meeting of the Legislative Council’s housing panel, where they discussed the government’s proposal to buy back ownership of flats in all seven buildings destroyed at the eight-block residential complex.

Under the proposal, residents will receive an acquisition payment that allows them to pursue their own housing arrangements, including buying new subsidized flats from ten designated subsidized projects. They were also offered a “flat-for-flat” arrangement for long-term accommodation. Regardless of the option chosen, all owners are required to confirmtheir intentions by Aug 31.

The plan was formulated based on a survey covering 1,975 households, or 99 percent of affected homeowners.

Many lawmakers expressed support for the government’s HK$4 billion ($511 million) funding request, which will be part of a HK$6.8 billion acquisition plan. The remaining HK$2.8 billion will be covered by the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which includes HK$300 million in seed funding from the government, alongside donations.

In his opening speech at the meeting, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun, who leads the government’s emergency resettlement task force, said, “Residents have lost their homes and suffered significant losses, facing various difficulties in their daily lives. They deserve the understanding and support of society.”

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He said that given the unprecedented impact of the fire, the arrangements made for this “exceptional among exceptional” case should be a one-off measure and will not set a precedent.

In response to an inquiry from financial sector lawmaker Robert Lee Wai-wang, Wong said the government will adopt a flexible stance regarding the need for additional time to complete inheritance procedures despite the Aug 31 acceptance deadline.

Regarding Wang Chi House, the only building undamaged by the fire, Wong said the government will deploy a cross-departmental “engagement team” to contact the owners to understand their rehousing intentions.

If half of Wang Chi House’s owners reach a consensus, the government will begin negotiating for property acquisitions, he said. No deadline has been set for residents to reach their consensus on the matter, he added.

However, Wong acknowledged that implementing a full acquisition plan will involve protecting private property rights, potentially requiring separate legislation.

Legislator Dominic Lee Tsz-king, who represents the New Territories North East constituency, said some owners at Wang Chi House are concerned about their property values and future resale prospects, and urged the government to speed up the consultation process.

Lawmaker Mark Chong Ho-fung suggested that the Wang Chi House residents be allowed to return to their homes temporarily before deciding whether to accept the acquisition offer.

Regarding the future use of the fire site, two lawmakers proposed that the Wang Fuk Court site could eventually be redeveloped as a museum highlighting Hong Kong’s cultural elements, such as its railway, bus, and temple heritage. Wong responded that all possibilities will be considered.

READ MORE: HK's first public hearing on Tai Po fire scheduled for March

On a separate occasion, Secretary for Youth and Home Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said the government has set aside sufficient rental funds to support affected residents until 2027.

Currently, each Wang Fuk Court flat owner is entitled to an annual rental subsidy of HK$150,000 for two years.

“We will appropriately extend the subsidy for Wang Fuk Court residents based on their needs, subject to certain conditions to ensure that the funds are used properly,” Mak said. She called on eligible residents to accept the government’s offer.