Calls for action on empty Croydon flats amidst housing crisis

A councillor is calling for action from Croydon council to make use of a block of flats which has stood empty since last summer.

Eight families living at South Bank in Grange Road, Upper Norwood, were moved into temporary accommodation by the council after a fire broke out in the building in June 2024.

The block was then boarded up by the council and has remained uninhabited since.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Claire Bonham said: “Tenants, residents and people living nearby deserve answers from the council and assurances that plans are in place to get people back into their homes.

“Croydon council spends millions of pounds each month on housing families in temporary accommodation, so it’s imperative that empty council properties are brought back into use as quickly as possible”.

Cllr Bonham said she had sent two official enquiries to the council about the future of the block since December 2024, but has not received a response.

There are almost 8,000 households waiting for social housing in Croydon, with just 800 lettings available each year.

Cllr Bonham said: “We are in the midst of a housing crisis and I am concerned at the lack of action from Croydon council in getting this block of flats back into use.”

A Croydon council spokeswoman said “the majority” of South Bank residents had been permanently rehoused.

She said: “We are working with the remaining families.

“Significant works are needed following the fire, including assessing the structure, which is already in progress. The safety of our residents is our main priority.

“We are working hard to meet the demand for affordable housing in the borough, for example, we have recently purchased Zodiac House which will provide 73 new homes.”

Pictured top: Cllr Claire Bonham stands in front of the empty South Bank block in Grange Road (Picture: Cllr Claire Bonham)