Wang Fuk Court is one of many high-rise housing complexes in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Tai Po, located near the border with mainland China, is an established suburban district with some 300,000 residents.
Wang Fuk Court, a 42-year-old Home Ownership Scheme estate in Tai Po, has been embroiled in a costly renovation dispute.
It underwent mandatory inspection in 2016 under a government scheme requiring buildings aged 30 years or above to carry out specified repairs once they receive a statutory notice. Major renovation works began in July last year and were expected to see scaffolding removed in the first quarter of next year.
Homeowners complained after the renovation fund climbed to HK$330 million (US$42 million), calling the cost excessive. Each household was told to pay at least HK$160,000 to HK$180,000 within six-and-a-half months, prompting frustration and a confrontation with the owners’ corporation chairman at a meeting in mid-June last year, according to local reports.
Owning a home is a distant dream for many in Hong Kong, one of the world’s most expensive housing markets and where residential rents are hovering around record highs.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/hong-kong-13-dead-fire-engulfs-residential-building-bamboo-scaffolding-5491211
