The Housing Authority (HA) today announced that clearance and rehousing for Wah Fu Estate (WFE) redevelopment Phase 3 will be advanced.

This will allow the Phase 3 clearance tenants at Wah Chui and Wah King houses to move in to the New WFE Phase 1 in the second quarter of 2034, advanced by around six years.

Meanwhile, affected tenants of Choi Hung Estate (CHE) redevelopment Phase 1 will have a notification period of about 52 months before the target clearance date of April 2029, when they have to move out of their units.

The HA’s Strategic Planning Committee discussed the above two plans today. The Subsidised Housing and Commercial Properties committees, at a joint meeting, subsequently approved the rehousing and associated arrangements for domestic and commercial tenants affected by Phase 1 of the CHE clearance exercise.

On WFE redevelopment Phase 3, the Government revealed that the originally proposed heavy rail transit system for the South Island Line (West) will be replaced by the smart and green mass transit systems.

Upon co-ordination between relevant departments, the sites reserved at the existing Wah On and Wah Lok houses for the heavy railway development can be released at an earlier time.

The HA takes the opportunity to start demolition at Wah On and Wah Lok houses, and construction of the New WFE Phase 1 immediately, upon completion of the population intake at the Wah King Street reception site.

The New WFE Phase 1 would become the rehousing resources for Phase 3 clearance tenants of Wah Chui and Wah King houses.

This new arrangement will allow Phase 3 clearance tenants of Wah Chui and Wah King houses to move in to the New WFE Phase 1 in the second quarter of 2034, advanced by around six years.

The target clearance date of Wah Chui and Wah King houses can also be advanced by six years, from 2040/2041 to 2034/2035. The HA will continue to co-ordinate with relevant departments to develop the remaining phases of the New Wah Fu Estate.

The HA will also consider the retention of shops with unique characteristics worthy of retention, by way of tailor-made tender arrangements.

It also announced the clearance and rehousing arrangements for CHE redevelopment Phase 1 covering Pik Hoi, Kam Pik and Tan Fung houses.

Affected tenants will be given a 52-month notification period before the target clearance date in April 2029, when they must move out of their units.

Domestic tenants affected by the clearance will be offered a Domestic Removal Allowance ranging from $10,030 to $31,910, depending on household size, to help meet part of their moving expenses.

One-person and two-person households may also opt to receive a Singleton/Doubleton Allowance (SA/DA) in lieu of rehousing to a public rental housing unit.

In this regard, the joint meeting today endorsed the adjustment of the SA/DA rates to $78,820 and $96,050 respectively.