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Grenfell family face removal from home. RBKC deny this. Then POLICE knocked on the door.

90 replies

HelenaDove · 15/04/2019 16:48

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47898652

Grenfell family 'face removal from home'

A family who survived the Grenfell Tower fire has said they are set to be moved out of their temporary home, as the council will no longer pay for it.

Mahad Egal and Jamie Murray and their two young children want to stay in the property, but Kensington and Chelsea Council has said it is "no longer suitable" and will not renew it.

It has offered the family alternative temporary housing instead.

The council says that it has not threatened anyone with eviction.

The couple has previously been offered a permanent home, but declined it over fears about the use of aluminium, although the council said that all its homes for survivors were safe

The couple and their two children, aged three and five, escaped from the fourth floor of Grenfell Tower during the fire in June 2017, in which 72 people died.

They moved into a permanent home last month, but within three weeks had returned to their temporary accommodation - which they first entered in August 2017.

Ms Murray told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme that the permanent home had been connected to a building with aluminium decorative casing around the windows.

They could see this through the living room window and it made them feel unsafe following their experiences of the fire.

The council said the material was not flammable and was "one of the safest forms of rain-screening building material available in the industry".

But Ms Murray said: "We were given similar reassurances when we lived in Grenfell Tower.

"[The council] are talking about physical safety, [but] you telling me that I am safe does not make me feel safe.

Ms Murray added that the stress of their present situation had caused her to experience vomit-inducing anxiety and made her flashbacks worse.

In the last two weeks she said she has also suffered a miscarriage.

The family added that moving from one property to another with two children would be "stressful and unnecessary" and Mr Egal was reporting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

They said the next time they move, they want it to be their permanent "forever" home.
'No culture change'

The couple said they were now effectively being evicted from their current temporary accommodation.

In a legal letter seen by the Victoria Derbyshire programme, Kensington and Chelsea Council state that it was "no longer suitable".

The family now say they fear leaving the home in case they are not allowed back in.

Mr Egal told the BBC that "every day from now on is a potential eviction day" and he feared the effect it would have on their children.

He added that the council has paid the rent for last week and the weekend just gone, but that is it.

Local Labour MP Emma Dent Coad said the council saw some Grenfell survivors as "troublesome" and wanted to "clear the decks" before the second anniversary of the tragedy on 14 June.

She said there was "no culture change" at the council, and she could see no justification "at all" for wanting to move the family from their temporary accommodation.

Kensington and Chelsea Council said in a statement: "We have worked with more than 180 households from Grenfell Tower to find them a suitable, permanent home.

"A small number of families find they have trouble settling into their new property and if they wish to move, we will find them suitable temporary housing while they consider what they want for the long term.

"All our homes for Grenfell [survivors] are safe and secure.

"We have not threatened any Grenfell survivor with eviction from their property."

In the week of the fire i remember a survivor telling Alok Sharma that he wasnt prepared to keep moving his young daughter from here to here to here to here. They KNEW that it was going to be like this, And they have been proved right.

twitter.com/vicderbyshire/status/1117761835623747586

Victoria Derbyshire
‏Verified account @vicderbyshire
4h4 hours ago

Exclusive: a Grenfell family says they’re facing eviction from their temporary home. *@RBKC say they aren’t evicting any Grenfell survivors. Yet a legal letter I’ve seen from ⁦**@RBKC*⁩ says Mahad Egal’s temp home is ‘no longer suitable’. Then police knocked on his door.

In the twitter link there is a recording of the police visit.

OP posts:
MorrisZapp · 18/04/2019 12:32

If he distrusts the council so much then how can they ever house him to his satisfaction.

mathanxiety · 18/04/2019 21:49

It's possible they are experiencing encounter after encounter with high handed and outright hostile council officials who give them the impression they are expected to be grateful for anything the council finds for them regardless of condition or suitability for their needs.

Standoffs and a complete breakdown in trust will be the natural result of that sort of attitude on the part of the council.

Certainly the impression I got from the story of Mariko Toyoshima-Lewis is that residents are experiencing 'like it or lump it' style offers and an official middle finger in their direction if the accommodation isn't suitable.

Former residents should not have to seek legal representation in order to secure appropriate housing. The council has obligations and it should be falling over itself to fulfill them.

Nicknacky · 18/04/2019 22:00

So what’s the answer?

HelenaDove · 23/04/2019 22:52

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/45397af6-6547-11e9-adc2-05e1b87efaea

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 24/04/2019 02:46

I would say the answer is a different culture in the K&C Borough Council.
A completely different culture where responsibilities are taken seriously even when the responsibilities are toward people who are not well off or well connected or articulate.

RosemaryHoight · 24/04/2019 03:16

Would it be that hard fior one of the richest counties in the maybe whole of the world to house the poor people whose house has burnt down?

RosemaryHoight · 24/04/2019 03:17

Is it that hard?

mathanxiety · 24/04/2019 03:35

Apparently it is, sadly.

Borntobedifferent · 24/04/2019 12:59

Oh come on! As far as I can see every case I have read about they have been offered a number of options they have chosen to not choose.

They have had after care like you would not get in other countries.

Sunlov · 24/04/2019 13:28

My question would be 'What does he want'?

He seems clear on not wanting anything previously offered, so what would satisfy him?

There's an impression of milking the situation.

I get that they went through horrific times, but so too have very many people who end up in council accommodation.

I'd imagine RBKC has literally no detached council properties, so he's going to have to take something. Where I am, if you're in temporary accommodation and are offered something permanent, you must take it. If you don't take it, you get taken off the list and removed from the temporary accommodation.

I cried solidly for 2 weeks when I was placed where I am. The location is a nightmare for me. It has worsened my mental health. But since I don't have the funds to rent privately, it's put up and shut up and grateful for what you're given. The alternative is the streets. And I haven't been through Grenfell, but I've been through a lot of pretty harrowing experiences.

SilverySurfer · 24/04/2019 14:55

AmICrazyorWhat2
If they don't like what the council is offering them, why don't they sort out their own accommodation?

Exactly. If they refuse all they have been offered then they will have to rent privately. If they can't afford private rents in RBKC then they will have to move elsewhere.

No-one is saying Grenfell wasn't horrendous but if nothing offered satisfies them, then that is what they will have to do.

HelenaDove · 24/04/2019 16:25

"They have had after care like you would not get in other countries"

Ah. Someone else cheering on a race to the bottom.

OP posts:
HelenaDove · 24/04/2019 16:30

"Would it be that hard fior one of the richest counties in the maybe whole of the world to house the poor people whose house has burnt down?"

after they ignored the warnings about the poor and dangerous workmanship and even used lawyers to threaten them to keep quiet and put up with it.

If this was any other situation and some individual had behaved like this the attitude would be "well they made their bed" i dont see why it should be any different for this council.

OP posts:
Sunlov · 24/04/2019 16:32

But @HelenaDove What do you want to happen?

HelenaDove · 24/04/2019 16:33

And if the police visit had been to someone who made some comment about a trans person three quarters of MN would be up in arms about lack of resources and waste of police time.

OP posts:
Sunlov · 24/04/2019 16:37

Every objection I gave to this flat was disregarded by the council. They did not give a shit that it was going to affect my mental health detrimentally. And believe me, I've actually been through worse than a fire (including a fire) but stuff that you couldn't even imagine.

As predicted, my mental health has suffered to the point of almost killing me. Do they care? Do they fuck.

Because it was a famous fire, doesn't make it any different.
They've already been treated with kid gloves. I wasn't.

Sunlov · 24/04/2019 16:38

WTF has trans got to do with the discussion?

HelenaDove · 24/04/2019 16:42

Sunlov that is bloody awful. But it means that there needs to be improvements for EVERYONE not have everyone dragged down to the same level.

If someone who has been through domestic abuse doesnt get help or get believed by the law do we then say that it should also be the same for every woman suffering and have the expectations of help all dragged down to a lower level? NO so why is there this attitude when it comes to housing and a tenants warning of danger isnt believed. Its dystopian.

OP posts:
HelenaDove · 24/04/2019 16:43

Oh Jesus Because not many have mentioned the police visit on a civil matter.

Do you think tenants would be able to use the police like that if the situation was reversed.

OP posts:
stucknoue · 24/04/2019 16:45

Aluminium isn't flammable, well everything is eventually but not under normal conditions. They are being unreasonable, probably being advised by someone with another motive. One of the grenfell families have moved in near to us (outside of London) and furniture was collected for them, those who know them say they wished they left London years ago, they have a garden, a garage and enough room to swing a cat.

HelenaDove · 24/04/2019 16:47

www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/council-breached-home-standard-on-fire-asbestos-and-electrical-safety-61162

a different council.

OP posts:
HelenaDove · 24/04/2019 16:54

twitter.com/35percent_EAN/status/1121017371399999494

OP posts:
HelenaDove · 24/04/2019 16:59

HAs using gagging orders.

twitter.com/DavidJa05262630/status/1120780268632268803

OP posts:
TheCatDidSay · 24/04/2019 17:00

They keep turning down permanent places. I’m no longer sympathetic they have had chance after chance but nothing is ever good enough. The majority of people don’t get to live in the house of their dreams owner or renter ffs.

Basically they like their over charged temp accommodation the best but that will be on a private contract to the council for only being temp accommodation at a hugely inflated price.

HelenaDove · 24/04/2019 17:03

John Boughton author of Municipal Dreams explains how council housing became welfarised.

www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/56139

OP posts: