Seven families who were left without houses after the Grenfell Tower fire are still waiting for permanent homes three years later, a new report reveals.
More than 200 households were left homeless following the devastating blaze that ripped through the 24-storey tower, leaving 72 people dead, on June 14, 2017.
Hundreds of families were placed in bed and breakfasts, hotels and temporary flats while they waited for permanent housing.
But seven households are still living in temporary accommodation three years later and waiting to be permanently rehoused, Kensington and Chelsea Council said.
Seven families who were left without homes after the Grenfell Tower fire are still waiting for a permanent home three years later, a new report reveals
Five of the seven households have accepted a permanent home but have not yet moved in, so are currently living in temporary housing.
A council spokesperson said the authority was helping the remaining two households to find a home and carry out necessary work on the properties to get them ready.
Council figures also show that out of the wider Grenfell households, who were not living in the tower, 19 have not returned to their homes or been found permanent accommodation.
This includes people living in Grenfell Walk beneath the tower and other households who left the area in the wake of the fire.
But the ‘vast majority’ of residents from the Lancaster West Estate remained in their homes after the fire, the council said.
Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith, deputy leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said: ‘We have been working hard to make the properties we bought into a place that families can call home, working with them to do so in incredibly complex circumstances. We are nearly there, but we will not be rushing the last few to meet artificial deadlines.
‘This hasn’t been simple – it was never going to be. Council staff have never stopped caring and never stopped working, and this will continue to be the case when every family is in their new home and starting to rebuild their lives. Our efforts won’t stop when they walk through their own front door.’
The Grenfell Tower fire claimed 72 victims on June 14, 2017 and more than 200 households were left homeless after the tragedy
Official figures show that out of wider Grenfell households who were not living in the tower, 19 have not returned to their homes or been found permanent accommodation
The council said that around ten households who used to live in the tower were asked to move again after they were placed in an unsuitable property.
A year after the fire, 68 households were still living in what is classed as emergency accommodation and 42 were staying in hotels.
As of last October, one family who had been evacuated from the tower were still living nearby Grenfell Walk in a hotel.
The Labour Party have condemned the failure to take action as a ‘national disgrace’ and called on the Government to take enforcement action against building owners who are still failing to make their blocks safe.
This came as it was revealed that up to 56,000 people still live in blocks with Grenfell-style cladding three years on from the tragedy.
Figures showed that it will take 39 years to rid blocks of the flammable material similar to that which caused the fire in west London.
Analysis by the Labour party revealed that three quarters of people living in blocks with dangerous ACM cladding have still not had it removed.
Official figures published last week revealed that the Government missed its June 2020 deadline for all buildings to have the material removed, with 300 still covered.
Official figures released last week revealed that up to 56,000 people still live in blocks with Grenfell-style cladding, with Labour condemning the lack of action as a ‘national disgrace’
Survivors and bereaved families have also called for an inquiry into the disaster and demanded reform.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ‘I know the bereaved, survivors, residents and wider community are understandably frustrated at the lack of meaningful change and they are fearful that a similar tragedy could happen again. I too share their concerns.’
In the months after the blaze, government and council sources said the total number of households needing rehousing was 210.
But this figure was revised down to 201 following a series of high-profile fraud cases where crooks claimed to be residents in a bid to get thousands of pounds put aside for families in need.
Kensington and Chelsea Council said it has spent more than £200million to find more than 300 homes for 194 households who have been successfully rehoused.
Marking the third anniversary of the tragedy on Sunday, the council leader Cllr Elizabeth Campbell said: ‘Politicians, like myself, often say a lot at times like this – but really there is nothing I, or many of us, can say that will take the pain away.
‘Three years might also seem like a long time to many people around the country. But to this community, and the families involved, the tragedy feels like yesterday.’