The last remaining residents of the Wah Fu public housing estate in Pok Fu Lam that is set to be redeveloped will have to leave their homes several years earlier than envisaged, with officials planning to bring forward the third and final clearance and rehousing phase of the project.

Tenants of Wah Chui House and Wah King House were originally expected to have vacated their homes by 2040/41, but the new plan announced on Friday is for these units to be empty by 2034/35.

The residents involved will be able to move into the first buildings finished at the new Wah Fu Estate, Housing Authority officials said.

The first clearance phase, involving five other blocks, is still set to take place between 2026 and 2030 at the latest and the second phase, covering 11 blocks, is to be carried out by 2030/31.

Officials said they can bring the third phase forward thanks to the government’s decision to use a "smart and green mass transit system" for the future South Island Line (West), instead of the heavy rail project originally planned. This change will allow sites at the estate to be freed up sooner.

The estate, next to Waterfall Bay, was built in 1967 and the 18 blocks are home to some 9,000 households.

Meanwhile, officials also announced clearance and rehousing arrangements for the first phase of the redevelopment of Choi Hung Estate.

They said residents of Pik Hoi House, Kam Pik House and Tan Fung House will need to move out before April 2029.

Elderly tenants affected can apply to live in blocks scheduled for redevelopment in the second or third phase of the project, officials said.

Choi Hung Estate, with its 11 blocks, was built in the 1960s. It is home to about 17,500 people.