Housing officials on Thursday said that hundreds will have to move out of two blocks at Wah Fu Estate over the next couple of years, so the long-awaited redevelopment of one of Hong Kong's oldest public housing estates can begin.

The chairwoman of the Housing Authority's subsidised housing committee, Cleresa Wong, said Wah On House and Wah Lok House in Pok Fu Lam will have to be cleared by the middle of 2027, affecting nearly 900 households.

They can either move to a nearby public estate, which will be completed by the end of 2026, or have priority to buy subsidised housing.

If tenants choose to move, the bigger households can receive up to nearly HK$32,000 in ex gratia payment.

Eligible commercial tenants can get a removal allowance 15 times the monthly rent they pay.

The Housing Authority said because of technical difficulties and unforeseen underground conditions at one of the plots planned for re-housing, the first phase of the redevelopment will be delayed by more than a year as it is split into two sub phases.

The entire redevelopment plan will be conducted in three phases, with the full completion expected in 2041.

"Wah Fu is a rather big and old estate. So when redeveloping estates, we have many things to consider, like its structure, the cost effectiveness, and importantly, whether there's a place nearby to house the affected residents," Wong explained.

"All of these take time to arrange and for us to find solutions."

The plan to redevelop Wah Fu Estate was first announced by then-Chief Executive CY Leung in his policy address 10 years ago.