Social Housing and Grenfell Tower

My first job when I went to London for my OE in 1976 was in Latimer Road. Fitter in a garage that panel-beated damaged luxury cars. It wasn't a flash area then. Isn't now. But it is becoming gentrified.

Where I stayed in London (AirBnB at Stockwell) was a little cafe that carried leaflets about the Grenfell Tower disaster and about the terms of reference for the inquiry. I came across Max Boucher who edited the leaflets and who has been involved in London social housing issues since before 1976 (mainly Lambeth Council Housing).

He pointed me in the direction of an "opendemocracy" website which has campaigned hard:

...."So here's a question we could ask independently of the tragedy at Grenfell Tower: why should people have to put up with so little control over their living conditions? Why should they have to put up with organisations more interested in profit than in housing them safely? Why have successive governments been making housing organisations less accountable rather than more accountable? Isn't that a sign of contempt for those who live in social housing? Isn't it a sign of the lack of respect and lack of care towards residents? Isn't that a political decision? Do people deserve this unresponsiveness and lack of accountability in their housing?

You can see that article here. And go to the main site, and search under "Grenfell".

What strikes you is the fact that life is going on around the tower - though it is fenced off, and there is now a 7/24 police presence. This is months after the event.

The terms of reference for the inquiry have been announced. You can find them here. There has been a major debate about the future of social housing. Submitters have asked that the inquiry also "create a model that can be rolled out for all social housing". The inquiry itself appears to focus on the fire at Grenfell Tower, and to make its findings known to the PM as soon as possible, and to make recommendations.

Those recommendations could well relate to the decision-making of the relevant "Tenants Management Organisation". Much of the focus of critics has been of the function (or disfunction) of the TMO. For example a Grenfell Action Group has also existed for some time - and had made repeated complaints about fire safety in the block.

This image can be clicked and expanded so you can read some of the grassroots anger and concern.

Everywhere around the tower, on all the fences, in doorways, on walls, there are memories.

Commuters alighting and getting aboard the tube at Latimer Road are constantly reminded. On 14 June 2017 there was a fire at Grenfell Tower. At least 80 people died.