Rehousing issue for Grenfell Towers survivors

Sorry maryeliza, I was amused by your praise of Michael Mansfield as a man who has a life time of experience fighting for the less privileged, he was
Mohammad Al Fayeds lawyer too.

My daughter has bought an ex-council flat leasehold. She pays a management charge annually for maintenance, insurance etc but also has to pay extra for one-off bigger projects. She had to pay £11,000 for a refurbishment recently (new windows, external redecoration etc).

But houses are not the same as flats. Flats have much more shared areas, stairwells, corridors, main doors,lifts, vestibules etc. It would be impossible for councils to just work on their own properties, as they can with houses. But the privately owned flats also need these shared areas to be kept up, so it would seem reasonable that they should contribute to the maintenance.

mostlyharmless that is a huge fee to pay for refurbishment! Something to think about when buying flats, as most are leasehold.

That's true - it was a bit of a shock and you have no real say in the cost or the timing!

They did, in my daughter's block, allow leaseholders to pay the cost over two or three years.

Yes I do know the difference between a house and a flat

Sorry, clicked to soon , I realise staircases etc are shared, but I don't understand why a council are responsible to find permanent housing for tenants of private landlords. And why has no landlord been interviewed,

The council has a duty to house the homeless Anniebach do you not understand these people are HOMELESS. Discussing who their landlord was or why they haven't been interviewed is irrelevant. Homeless People - council duty to re-house

If you will become homeless within 28 days your local authority (council) only has to re-house you immediately if you are one of the following:

a) You are a pregnant woman, (this includes anyone living with you).

b) You have children who rely on you financially and they need somewhere to live.

c) You need special help either because you are old, mentally disabled, physically disabled or other special reason.

d) You became homeless because of a flood, fire or another disaster.

e) You are a child aged 16 or 17 and you are not in local authority care, or recently left long-term care. (In Wales 16 or 17 year olds will be regarded as in priority need, regardless of whether or not they have been in care.)

f) Any person aged 18, 19 or 20 who is at particular risk of sexual or financial exploitation, (applies to Wales only).

g) Any person who is not yet 21 years old, but who was at any time between the ages of 16 and 18 being looked after, accommodated or fostered, but are no longer. This does not apply if that person is also in full-time, further or higher education, (social services would be responsible for accommodating those students), (this applies to England only).

h) Persons aged 21 or over who have become vulnerable as a result of having been looked after, accommodated or fostered, (this applies to England only).

i) A person who is 18, 19 or 20 and who has at any time been privately fostered, lived in a children's home or been in the care of a local authority, health authority or voluntary organisation, (this applies to Wales only).

j) Any victim of any form of violence, (except self-inflicted) who has left their home as a result of violence or threats and has become vulnerable as a result, (this applies to England only).

k) Any person who has been subject to domestic violence, is at risk of domestic violence or would be if he or she returns home, (this applies to Wales only).

l) A person who formerly served in the armed forces and has been homeless since leaving those forces, (this applies to Wales only).

m) Any person who is vulnerable as a result of having been a member of the regular naval, military or air force, (this applies to England only).

n) Any person who is a former prisoner and has been homeless since leaving custody and has a local connection with the area of the local authority to whom they apply, (this applies to Wales only).

o) Any person who is vulnerable as a result of having been in custody, (this applies to England only).

If you fall into any one of the categories a - o above then you are eligible to be given priority when it comes to council housing.

You are entitled to apply to the local authority for information so that you can understand and assess how your application is likely to be treated, including whether you will fall into one of the groups above.

Yes I have worked out that if their home has burned down they are homeless .

Yes I know councils have a responsibility to house homeless people but the homeless are not in a position to say where they want a house, not in a position to say they will not accept temporary accommodation.

A private landlord will have lost their property so presumably their insurance company will recompense them.
They have no duty to re house their tenants (if their tenants survived the fire) They are not homeless themselves (except perhaps if they lived in another flat in the tower) So why would they be interviewed? What should they be asked?

They could be asked their views on the cladding,

You are being obtuse, Anniebach

I was amused by your praise of Michael Mansfield as a man who has a life time of experience fighting for the less privileged, he was Mohammad Al Fayeds lawyer too.

He can afford to do pro bono work precisely because he has the funds and the experience obtained by working for people who pay.

I found it amusing and said so,

I'm happy for you Anniebach; it's not everyone who is capable of finding pleasure in such unusual places.

Hell bells, because you have a different sense of humour there is no need to get so starchy.

I am aware of the cases Mansfield has worked on, the thought of Al Fayed as under privileged amuse me , I know damn well he wasn't being referred to.

I agree, a sense of humour here is a very unusual place

To take one example of MM's clients over his long career which includes the Birmingham 6, Guildford 4 and Hillsborough and think that undermines his commitment is frankly risible.

And I gong think that this thread is any place for any type of sense of humour quite frankly

maryeliza, what is the difference between people of colour and colour of skin?

I think a dash of humour is healthy on a this thread, a break from the over playing of the race card.

I don't think the people of Grenfell will agree with you, Annie. Fortunately they'll have better things to do than read this thread.

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What a horrible thing to say.

Horrible thing to do too. My dad had it done to him once, outrageously.

I got the joke too. Hardly a big deal. The joke, being about Mansell and alFayed, is quite separate from the Grenfell Tower victims.

Thank you Baggs, thank god someone has a sense of humour