Original sentence: Starting in 1953, precipitated by the rising immigrant population and the Shek Kip Mei fire which destroyed the shanty homes of approximately 53,000 people, the Hong Kong Government commenced a programme of mass public housing, providing affordable homes for those on low incomes
Edited sentence: After the fire, and facing a surge of immigrant population, then governor Alexander Grantham launched a public housing program to introduce the idea of "multi story building" for the immigrant population living there, thus commencing a programme of mass public housing, providing affordable homes for those on low incomes.On 25 December 1953, a major fire  in Shek Kip Mei destroyed the makeshift homes of refugees from Mainland China, leaving 53,000 people homeless.Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, a former governmental position, in charge of public housing.Some scholars have argued that the government has been overstating the role of the fire in the history of public housing in Hong Kong