All 28 retail banks in Hong Kong will continue pausing principal and interest payments for affected Wang Fuk Court residents while offering flexible mortgage handling for those selling flats to the government.
All 28 retail banks will keep principal and interest payments on mortgages, personal loans and credit cards paused for Wang Fuk Court residents until end-May 2027.
Banks will treat mortgagors who sell property rights to the Hong Kong SAR Government flexibly, including extending original mortgage grace periods until replacement units are ready.
These credit support measures were first introduced in March 2026 and have been extended to give affected residents more time to finalise long-term housing and financial plans.
# What changed Authority (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) announced an extension of credit support measures for people affected by the Tai Po (Wang Fuk Court) fire. The relief now runs through the end of May 2027.
# Who is covered All 28 retail banks in Hong Kong are participating. The measures cover individuals who lost their homes or were directly affected at Wang Fuk Court.
# What the relief does Banks will continue to pause both principal and interest payments on existing mortgages, personal loans and credit card balances held by affected residents. That pause applies across the participating retail banks and is intended to give residents time to sort out longer-term housing and financial arrangements.
# Background and purpose The support measures were first introduced in March 2026 to align with the Government's long-term housing arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents. The extension to May 2027 was framed as providing additional time for affected households to finalise housing choices and settle related financial questions.
# How decisions will be handled The HKMA and HKAB said they will continue to coordinate with the banking industry and relevant government departments. Assistance will be provided on a case-by-case basis, which indicates banks and authorities expect to consider individual circumstances rather than applying a single uniform solution to every account.
# Practical implications for residents
# What residents should do next Contact your bank to confirm whether your account is included and to get details on how the pause and any grace-period extension will be applied in your specific case. Also stay in touch with the government department handling housing arrangements so you can coordinate timelines for any buy-back or replacement unit intake.
# Bottom line The extension keeps a city-wide, bank-backed repayment pause in place through May 2027 and promises flexible mortgage treatment for those selling flats to the government. The move aims to reduce immediate financial strain while residents complete their housing transitions and finalise longer-term plans.
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