Grenfell families to spend Christmas in temporary homes – more than five years after blaze
By Jacob Phillips, Local Democracy Reporter
Families who lost loved ones and homes in the Grenfell Tower fire are set to spend Christmas in temporary accommodation, more than five years after the tragic blaze.
Seventy-two people lost their lives in the deadly fire in the high rise in Kensington on June 14, 2017, displacing more than 200 households living in the block.
Three Grenfell families are still waiting to have a new permanent home, and two bereaved households are yet to be permanently rehoused.
So far 198 households have been moved to a new permanent home since the fire. Since the tragedy, the council has also rehoused 19 bereaved households who were not residents of the Tower.
Kensington and Chelsea Council (RBKC) said the three Grenfell households are now living in high-quality temporary homes.
These families have also accepted permanent homes and are waiting for the properties to meet their needs.
A report published by the council in February showed Grenfell survivors had been left ‘in the dark’ as they struggle to settle into new council homes.
Council officers said the authority failed to give solid advice to former residents of Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk about their housing options.
More than 40 out of 201 households have asked to move again since the tragedy for various reasons, including the type of home they are living in, relationship breakdowns and mental health struggles.
The report says: “While many households are happy in their new homes, some households have subsequently found that they now cannot settle.
“For these families, their homes now feel like a barrier to recovery. The harrowing impact of the Grenfell Tower tragedy of June 14, 2017 upon survivors and the bereaved will never fully heal.”
The report added the council was committed to finding the bereaved and survivors permanent homes, but this is limited by the number of available properties and it does not have enough money to buy a new set of homes.
Pictured top: Members of the public at the memorial at the base of Grenfell Tower in June this year (Picture: PA)
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