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| Grenfell survivors deceived by rehousing promises, charity boss says | Grenfell survivors deceived by rehousing promises, charity boss says |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire were deceived by promises to rehouse them quickly, a charity boss has said. | Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire were deceived by promises to rehouse them quickly, a charity boss has said. |
| About 100 households will still be living in hotels on Christmas Day, six months after the tragedy in west London. | About 100 households will still be living in hotels on Christmas Day, six months after the tragedy in west London. |
| Mark Simms, the director of the Rugby Portobello Trust, which has been distributing grants to the community in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said a lack of honesty throughout the process had added to survivors’ stress. | Mark Simms, the director of the Rugby Portobello Trust, which has been distributing grants to the community in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said a lack of honesty throughout the process had added to survivors’ stress. |
| “We knew finding 300 properties in Kensington and Chelsea was never going to be three weeks, it was never going to be three months,” he said. “I think people were deceived.” | “We knew finding 300 properties in Kensington and Chelsea was never going to be three weeks, it was never going to be three months,” he said. “I think people were deceived.” |
| The prime minister, Theresa May, initially said she hoped to rehouse everyone within three weeks of the fire, but the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, later told MPs the local council was aiming for a Christmas deadline. The leader of the council, Elizabeth Campbell, said she was “absolutely” hoping to have everyone in homes within a year. | The prime minister, Theresa May, initially said she hoped to rehouse everyone within three weeks of the fire, but the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, later told MPs the local council was aiming for a Christmas deadline. The leader of the council, Elizabeth Campbell, said she was “absolutely” hoping to have everyone in homes within a year. |
| Simms said promises to rehouse survivors within three weeks had been “ill-timed, ill-conceived and ill-judged”. He said the response from volunteers after the fire had been “the one bit that didn’t fail”. | Simms said promises to rehouse survivors within three weeks had been “ill-timed, ill-conceived and ill-judged”. He said the response from volunteers after the fire had been “the one bit that didn’t fail”. |
| Tiago Alves, who escaped with his family from the 13th floor of Grenfell Tower, said it was vital that people were rehoused as soon as possible so they could begin prioritising their mental health, and so the focus could be fully on the public inquiry and criminal investigation. | Tiago Alves, who escaped with his family from the 13th floor of Grenfell Tower, said it was vital that people were rehoused as soon as possible so they could begin prioritising their mental health, and so the focus could be fully on the public inquiry and criminal investigation. |
| “We’ve seen so many broken promises,” said the 20-year-old, who is looking for temporary accommodation. “We’ll rehouse you in three weeks, we’ll rehouse everyone before Christmas, we’ll rehouse everyone within 12 months. You see how they are changing the narrative? I’d much rather they were honest.” | “We’ve seen so many broken promises,” said the 20-year-old, who is looking for temporary accommodation. “We’ll rehouse you in three weeks, we’ll rehouse everyone before Christmas, we’ll rehouse everyone within 12 months. You see how they are changing the narrative? I’d much rather they were honest.” |
| Forty-nine households have moved into permanent homes and 57 are in temporary accommodation. But 101 – including 17 families with 34 children – remain in hotels, according to the council, which said it had been honest from the outset regarding rehousing pledges. | Forty-nine households have moved into permanent homes and 57 are in temporary accommodation. But 101 – including 17 families with 34 children – remain in hotels, according to the council, which said it had been honest from the outset regarding rehousing pledges. |
| It said its sole promise had been to secure 300 homes by Christmas, and that every household had received an offer of accommodation. Local legal and campaigning groups, however, have said that many of these offers have been either outside the borough, unsuitable or in other tower blocks. | It said its sole promise had been to secure 300 homes by Christmas, and that every household had received an offer of accommodation. Local legal and campaigning groups, however, have said that many of these offers have been either outside the borough, unsuitable or in other tower blocks. |
| “I genuinely don’t know how the pace could have been improved, but the honesty could have been improved from day one,” said Simms, adding that the lack of honesty was “more insulting than a lack of housing”. | “I genuinely don’t know how the pace could have been improved, but the honesty could have been improved from day one,” said Simms, adding that the lack of honesty was “more insulting than a lack of housing”. |
| “We’ve got people that we want to give grant money to, and they can’t take it because it’s wrapped up in such a tragedy that they feel like it’s blood money. | “We’ve got people that we want to give grant money to, and they can’t take it because it’s wrapped up in such a tragedy that they feel like it’s blood money. |
| “That’s the level of trauma associated with people getting out of that tower, so to expect people to behave rationally when they’ve got to go online and book for a property is a bit daft. | “That’s the level of trauma associated with people getting out of that tower, so to expect people to behave rationally when they’ve got to go online and book for a property is a bit daft. |
| “It needs to be a much more personal, honest relationship with somebody who can navigate you through. And they’ve been slow to get that.” | “It needs to be a much more personal, honest relationship with somebody who can navigate you through. And they’ve been slow to get that.” |
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