HKSAR gov't pledges free housing for Tai Po fire victims until homes rebuilt

HONG KONG, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Alice Mak Mei-kuen, secretary for home and youth affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said on Sunday that the HKSAR government will ensure residents affected by the Tai Po fire receive free housing until their homes are rebuilt.

Speaking on a TV program, Mak said that the HKSAR government's goal is to relocate around 1,900 affected households into transitional housing or other accommodations within one to two weeks, and so far, over 1,800 units have been secured. The HKSAR government will adopt flexible arrangements to meet the housing needs of each household, she said.

Michael Wong, deputy financial secretary of the HKSAR government and head of a task force on emergency accommodation arrangements, said that with over 2,000 units available in transitional housing and dedicated rehousing estates of the Housing Society, the supply should be sufficient to meet residents' needs.

Mak also said earlier that the HKSAR government will arrange transitional housing for residents to stay in the long term, stressing that all support provided by the authorities will be free of charge, including the provision of complimentary transportation connections.

The fire that broke out in the residential complex Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on Nov. 26 has so far claimed 128 lives and injured 83 people.