By Kate Harveston
Some have called the tragedy at Grenfell Tower “London’s Katrina,” but that is not an accurate comparison. A hurricane is an act of nature, and Grenfell was the result of many years of neglect.
The building’s owners, Kensington and Chelsea Tenants Management Association (KCTMA), completed a renovation of the building not long before the prolific blaze. Changes to the building were intended to free up space for additional units, however in doing so the building was reduced to a single stairwell and exit, which was often blocked.
These easy-to-spot hazards undeniably contributed to the loss of life suffered at Grenfell. What made adding a few more units more important than the safety of the building’s entire population?
People Without a Place
Understanding what happened at Grenfell requires an understanding of its residents. The Lancaster West Estate where Grenfell tower resides is an ethnically diverse community of working-class citizens. Many of them live in cramped quarters and suffer deplorable living standards.
Twenty plus years ago, the Estate was a welcome home for immigrants, but as laws changed and populations increased, housing in the area began showing signs of fatigue. Today, it is the belief of many residents that neglecting the area’s housing has functioned as a form of deterrent to immigrants.
Grenfell residents report that politicians who should be protecting their corner of London have sold them out. Even in the wake of the terrible accident, efforts to collect donations have been fumbled and some people believe the building fire was started expressly to drive out Grenfeld’s tenants.
The Fall of State Housing
The British government laid the groundwork for social housing like Grenfell in the 1960s and 70s. At the time, the system worked. Even affluent citizens occupied social housing. The buildings were affordable and secure, but things began to change in the early 80s.
Margarete Thatcher’s new free market reform saw social housing projects as the enemy of the free market, and took the stance that they should constitute as small a portion of the housing market as possible.
Regulations that mandated the upkeep of buildings like these were stripped away, and the buildings were left to rot, becoming the safety hazards they are today. The right-to-buy scheme allowed new ownership to step in and raise rates, creating a dearth of actual affordable housing nearly all of which was poorly kept.
When these buildings change hands, as Grenfell did when it went to Kensington and Chelsea Tenants Management Association, they are often renovated to make them more attractive for tenants. The problem is the “corner-cutting” that routinely goes on in the process. Rather than consider the needs of the people who will live in the buildings, the only concern is making space and the illusion that the building is comfortable.
Where Can Londoners Go?
London isn’t a big place relative to the number of people that make their lives there. It is becoming difficult for residents who need them to find real solutions in the way of income-restricted housing.
There were nearly riots following the events at Grenfell. People had been reporting visible safety hazards in the buildings for years. With few options outside of the decaying social housing projects, the problem is worse today than it was before. Where can these people live? Is it realistic to think they can reside in London at all?
Survivors of the fire were relocated to hotels for three weeks as an interim solution, however many are now facing eviction from the hotels. The government was supposed to be assigning them for relocation; however, only 14 of 158 households forced from Grenfell have found host families.
Advocates for the displaced cite that while the government has made over 130 offers, most of them are unsuitable for inhabitants and probably in similar condition to the Grenfell tower before it burned. Some of the proposed new lodgings even have a view of the old tower’s remains.
For the small number who have accepted new living quarters, rent is going up. The government has agreed to cover their costs for a year, but after that they will be faced with higher rental costs than they previously had in Grenfell tower.
A Legacy of Poor Governing
Like the corner-cutting practices that landed KCTMA at the heart of this controversy, the housing crisis London is now facing was entirely avoidable. What it will require is a more even-handed approach towards social housing.
The councils and local governments cannot afford to wade through a continuous mire of negative PR that will come if more accidents like Grenfell are allowed to happen. A change of perspective is required. More social housing must become available soon, and it must be habitable. If it does not, London’s working class will be the first to leave, but they might not be the last.
“A change of perspective is required.”
Absolutely.
The 99% on the bottom must eat the 1% at the top alive.
Or at least pin them down until they say, “give.”
I recommend two hours in the oven at about 375F. They are generally infected.