The first 35 applicants in a special replacement-home scheme for Wang Fuk Court owners began choosing flats on 29 September. Six of the first 10 selected units were at Kai Yeung Court, alongside two at Sierra Terrace, one at Hemma Sapphire and one at Shing Chi Court.

The scheme offers more than 4,400 newly completed units, priced from HK$1.51 million to nearly HK$5.37 million, for about 1,700 applicants.

One couple selected a 385-square-foot flat at Kai Yeung Court after previously living in a home of more than 400 square feet. They expected to pay hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars extra and accepted a smaller layout with one fewer bedroom because it suited their needs as a two-person household.

An older couple who had lived at Wang Fuk Court for more than 40 years chose a two-bedroom flat at Sierra Terrace because the husband has limited mobility and their temporary tenancy in Tai Po is due to end in February. They expected to pay more than HK$400,000 and favoured the development because it was among the quicker replacement options and already fitted out.

A resident in his seventies who chose a larger Hemma Sapphire flat in Kwun Tong said he expected to pay about HK$2 million after the government’s acquisition payment. He said the forced purchase had disrupted his retirement plans and asked the government to halve the stamp duty for affected owners.

The scheme is being run in two batches. Applicants who submitted their applications by the end of June will complete their selections first, followed by the second batch. The Housing Bureau said 1,971 households, or 99.3 per cent of owners in blocks A to H, had accepted the government’s acquisition proposal by the 31 August deadline; about 1,700 chose to join the special sales scheme.

If an applicant’s Wang Fuk Court ownership has not yet been transferred to the government, the scheme first reserves the new flat. Once the transfer is complete, the Hong Kong Housing Authority or Hong Kong Housing Society signs the agreement for the new flat. One applicant using a home-exchange voucher said he had reserved a Kai Yeung Court flat but could not yet sign its provisional purchase agreement because the government had not yet processed the voucher.

The Housing Bureau expects all selections to be completed by the end of November.