4 out of 5 Grenfell families will still be homeless at Xmas
FOUR out five families who survived the Grenfell Tower inferno face spending Christmas without a home.
Dozens of children are set to wake up in temporary shelter on Christmas Day, as 103 families, 29 of whom have children, are still in hotels. Another 11 households are in serviced apartments, and four are with loved ones.
Of the 208 families affected, Kensington and Chelsea Council have given 42 of them permanent homes and temporary ones to 48.
Shahin Sadafi, chair of resi- dents’ group Grenfell United, said: “First it was three weeks, then six months, now they [the council] are saying a year. One broken promise after another.
“At this rate, it could take two years to rehome people. It’s been six months, and we’re just a fortnight away from Christmas.
“It needs urgent action now. No one can even start to rebuild their lives until they are in a place they can call home.”
Hundreds were made homeless and 71 people were killed in the 24-storey block in North Kensington, West London, on June 14. At the time, PM Theresa May appeared to pledge that survivors would be rehomed within three weeks.
On Tuesday, deputy council chief Kim Taylor-Smith admitted rehousing was “desperately slow” but they hope to find 300 homes before the holidays. Experts warned the season could raise survivors’ suicide risk.