For many of the people in the towering Wang Fuk Court, scene of one of Hong Kong’s deadliest
fires on Nov. 26, the high-rise complex is the only home they have ever known. Located in the city’s northern Tai Po District, far from downtown, the community is part of the Home Ownership Scheme, a government-run program that provides subsidized public housing to low- and middle-income residents.
With 1,984 apartments across eight buildings, each
covering 48 to 54 square meters, homes here initially sold for HK$116,000 to HK$159,100 ($14,906 to $20,445) when construction was completed in 1983.