Grenfell Tower: survivors who lost everything in London fire face being moved miles across London

Survivors of the fire will have to be rehoused in properties across London
Alex Lentati

Desperate families left homeless by the Grenfell Tower disaster today made a heartfelt plea to be found replacement housing in the Kensington area.

The demand not to be “uprooted” came as Kensington and Chelsea council admitted it is “exploring options” with other boroughs as it scrambles to re-home surviving residents from the block’s 129 flats.

The Conservative-led authority said a total of 109 households, including families moved from the exclusion zone around the block, have so far been given emergency accommodation in hotels in Kensington and neighbouring boroughs.

However, it said it could not guarantee that all could be rehoused in the North Kensington neighbourhood near to the schools, friends and local networks that families rely on.

A council spokesman said: “The short-term accommodation needs of these households are largely being met by the use of commercial hotels in this local authority area and those immediately adjacent to Kensington and Chelsea.

Inside Grenfell Tower

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The housing department is still developing its plan to source and secure more settled temporary accommodation for Grenfell Tower residents until such time as they can be provided with permanent housing.

“While we will endeavour to ensure those affected remain in or near the borough, given the number of households involved it is possible the council will have to explore housing options that may become available in other parts of the capital.”

To help ease pressure on its housing waiting list the council has previously looked at moving tenants outside London to towns including Peterborough.

Sajid Javid at the site with the Queen today
Hannah McKay/Reuters

Itezaz Ahmed, 41, lives next to Grenfell Tower and was evacuated with her husband and three children following the fire.

She is staying with friends and hopes to return to her home but knows people from the tower who are now homeless and “desperate” to find out where they can live.

She said: “My friend has a six-year-old daughter at primary school. They can’t just be uprooted and be moved away.

"They have to stay in the community where their friends and lives are. They are meeting with the council to discuss what is happening. They hope to stay.”

Student Mesrob Kassemdjian, 28, fled his 17th-floor flat with his aunt and they are now staying in a hotel. He said: “It is vital people can stay in the borough... I was born here and my life is here.”

Campaign groups say housing minister Alok Sharma’s guarantee to keep “every single family in the local area” can only be met by lifting the £442-a-week housing benefit cap on rents.

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