No compensation for quarantine estate tenants

Residents due to move into Chun Yeung Estate were caught off guard by the sudden decision to convert it into a quarantine centre. File photo: RTHK

The government said on Monday that there will be no compensation for people who were due to move into a new public housing estate in Fo Tan, which is now being converted into a quarantine centre over the coronavirus outbreak.



A representative of the Housing Department said during a special Sha Tin District Council meeting that tenants had been told that suggested moving-in dates were not confirmed, and they had been warned not to take any steps such as changing their children's schools too soon.



But the official said people affected by the quarantine centre move could be allocated flats elsewhere if there are any available. He said a HK$10 billion fund set up by the government to combat the virus outbreak might also help, though no details could be announced yet.



Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Saturday that Chun Yeung Estate is a suitable location to quarantine people because it can immediately provide several hundred flats.



But a caller to an RTHK programme said that his family had been notified by the government before Chinese New Year that they could move into the estate this month.



"How long will the estate be used as a quarantine centre? After it’s used as a quarantine centre, how long will it take for the government to clean and disinfect it?” he asked.



“We have to rent another place to live during this period. Is the government going to pay for it?”



A Sha Tin district councillor, Ken Mak, said some residents have already terminated their previous rentals or changed their children's schools, as they thought they would shortly move into the new estate.



Mak, of the Civic Party, said residents plan to join hands with rural leaders to express their opposition.



He also criticised the government's U-turn regarding the estate, as Lam had said two weeks ago that the government would not use public housing estates for quarantine purposes, following a public outcry over the idea.



The government dropped a plan last month to convert the newly-built Fai Ming Estate in Fanling into a quarantine centre after nearby residents protested, putting up roadblocks in the area and setting fire to building lobbies.