Home affairs chief Alice Mak has pledged that the government will provide free housing to the survivors of the Tai Po inferno until they rebuild their homes.

Officials had said there were some 1,900 households in Wang Fuk Court affected by the deadly fire.

Speaking on a TVB programme on Sunday, Mak said the administration would ensure that the housing needs of the victims would be taken care of.

"In short, how ever long it will take the residents to rebuild their homes is the length of time they can stay in the free housing provided by the government," she said.

"We want to make it clear — no matter how long the rebuild takes, we will ensure flexibility in terms of transitional housing or designated flats under the Housing Society. We will not allow housing to be a problem for the residents affected."

The government has been giving out HK$10,000 in emergency cash to affected households who register in Tai Po in person.

Mak said officials are looking to allow residents who moved to temporary housing in places like Tuen Mun to collect the money at different offices under the Home Affairs Department.

She added that besides financial support that's already been announced, there could be different forms of monetary aid in the long run through the government's support fund.

"There could be different schemes down the line, including subsidies, education funds or money for rebuilding their homes. The funds will be used according to the needs of the residents," Mak said.

"Say when residents move to transitional housing, they need to buy different things. Even though we will provide furniture, residents may want to buy a cup. We will give them support."

The minister stressed that the money allocated will be vetted by auditors, to ensure the funds are properly used in helping the affected residents.