Hong Kong Fire Victims to Get $19,000 Annual Rent Aid

The Hong Kong government will pay an annual rent subsidy of HK$150,000 (US$19,280) to each flat owner displaced by last week’s deadly fire. The payments will continue for two years. Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing announced the measure on Thursday. It is part of a new relief package worth HK$1.2 billion. The subsidy is intended to help owners rent homes in the private market. The fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po was the city’s deadliest in over 70 years. Both flat owners and tenants at the affected public housing estate will also receive a one-time payment of HK$50,000. This is to support their immediate relocation costs. Thousands of residents remain displaced after the fire. The government says the financial aid is a key step in helping them recover.