Grenfell survivors in rehousing plea

Grenfell Tower survivors have demanded “urgent action” on rehousing after it emerged four out of five displaced families face Christmas without a proper home.

Almost six months on from the deadly blaze, in which 71 died and hundreds were made homeless, 103 households from the block remain in hotel rooms.

GRENFELL TOWER survivors have demanded “urgent action” on rehousing after it emerged four out of five displaced families are facing Christmas without a proper home.

Almost six months on from the deadly blaze, in which 71 died and hundreds were made homeless, 103 households from the block remain in hotel rooms. A further 11 are in serviced apartments and four are staying with loved ones – meaning 118 remain in emergency accommodations, Kensington and Chelsea Council announced on Tuesday. The local authority was accused of making “one broken promise after another”, having previously expressed confidence every survivor would be out of emergency rooms by Christmas.

In the immediate aftermath of the June 14 inferno, Theresa May initially appeared to pledge that everyone left destitute would be in temporary new homes within three weeks.

So far only 42 families have moved into permanent addresses, meaning the remaining 166, including 48 in temporary accommodation, could spend the festive period without a new home, survivors say.

There were 208 families in need of rehousing following the disaster, according to council figures.

Shahin Sadafi, chairman of Grenfell United, an elected body set up by survivors and bereaved relatives, said: “First it was three weeks, then six months now they are saying a year.

“For the survivors and affected families it seems like one broken promise after another. At this rate it could take the council almost two years to re-home people.

“We are talking about people who have been through the traumatic events and have lost so much, stuck in hotel rooms and make-do accommodation. No one can even start to rebuild their lives until they are in a place they can call home.

“It’s been six months and we’re now just a fortnight away from Christmas. It’s not too late to put this right but it needs urgent action now.”

In addition to those who have already moved into a permanent address, 82 have accepted permanent housing offers.

Currently 29 of the families still in hotels have children, council figures show.

A fractious public meeting of the scrutiny committee that oversees the Grenfell Tower response on Tuesday night saw the local authority attacked by former residents. Tiago Alves, a 20-year-old tenant of the 13th floor, told the meeting: “You are trying to eat away at us slowly, slowly, slowly, in an attempt to break us up.”

Deputy council leader and cabinet member for housing Kim Taylor-Smith admitted rehousing had been “desperately slow”, but this was initially due to a lack of houses to offer survivors.

It is hoped 300 houses will have been acquired by the council in time for Christmas, he added. With the prospect of many survivors, including children, waking up in a hotel on Christmas morning, festive events are being organised in the west London neighbourhood.

Coun Elizabeth Campbell, leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said: “All of us sympathise with those who are still living in hotels with their children, especially at Christmas.

“I have always said we can only move at the pace at which victims and survivors feel comfortable – no-one should be rushed into making such an important decision about where they are going to live.

“However, I do accept, for some, the pace is too slow.”