Lessons from Grenfell: bringing together residents from multi-storey estates around the country
Following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, LSE Housing and Communities were grant funded to bring together residents from multi-storey estates around the country to share their views on living in blocks of flats, document their experiences and the lessons learnt. There are many positive reasons why high-rise blocks were built and many people make secure, welcoming homes in those communities.
But the Grenfell fire disaster changed everything. It highlighted the lack of careful on-site management of high rise blocks, the poor standard of repair and upgrading, the inadequate checks and misapplied fire safety measures, the lack of clear information and guidance to tenants, the conflicting advice, and the barriers to tenants getting their worries, fears and experiences heard or acted on. The disaster also highlighted the lack of control over private lettings from Right to Buy owners converting to profitable private renting.
By gathering residents’ experiences, developing plans for estate upgrading, and collecting messages for landlords, professional bodies and government, we have been able to make an input into policy development among professionals and in government. Everyone recognises that the way social housing is run has to change and that tenants’ concerns need airing and acting upon.
Summary of the key findings 10 Lessons from the Grenfell Fire Disaster, based on feedback from a wide range of organisations and residents across the country living in and managing multi-storey housing.
Firstly a workshop for communities and tenants was held, below are links for documents from this event:
Briefing note for lessons from Grenfell Community Think Tank
Headlines from Lessons from Grenfell Community Think Tank 30-31st October 2017
Information Pack (work-in-progress) Lessons from Grenfell Community Think Tank
A second Think Tank for professionals, landlords, policy making and residents added weight to the early findings. In all, 100 people attended. Many follow-on actions are already happening: some tower blocks have had their gas supply turned off for safety reasons; some have been evacuated; some are being stripped of expensive cladding; and tenants’ heating bills are inevitably rising as a result of insulation removal.
Briefing Note for Lessons from Grenfell Policy Think Tank
Resource Pack (work-in-progress) Lessons from Grenfell Policy Think Tank