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Morning Briefing: MPs prepare to debate Grenfell
MPs will debate the Grenfell Tower fire in parliament today, with the final report from Dame Judith Hackitt on building regulations expected this week.
In the news
On the day of parliament’s Grenfell debate, and exactly 11 months on from the fire, The Guardian has published portraits of 71 of the people who died in the tower.
Seventy-two people in total have died as a result of the blaze, but one woman, Maria Del Pilar Burton, 74, died in January from existing health problems after surviving the 14 June itself, and is not included.
The piece shows the diversity of those who lived in Grenfell Tower, from young families to refugees to older people, and The Guardian says it is intended as a digital memorial to the victims.
Ahead of the debate, Natasha Elcock, a survivor of the fire from campaign group Grenfell United said: “We’ve been campaigning for six months to get our voices heard in parliament. We are relieved the government has finally listened and granted a panel for the inquiry, but our fight for truth, justice and change is just starting. We campaign so hard because we don’t want anyone else to ever experience the suffering we have.
The first hearings of the inquiry will get under way next Monday, and so The Sunday Times has revealed how much the judge leading the inquiry and the lawyers attending will be paid.
None of the weekend papers have covered it, but the final report of Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of building regulations will be published this week, and Inside Housing reported on Friday afternoon that it will not ban combustible cladding or ’desktop studies’.
Meanwhile, it was published late on Friday, but an article in the Financial Times is still causing a stir in the sector. It says the National Housing Federation (NHF) has instructed lawyers to challenge private equity giant Blackstone over its investment in for-profit housing association Sage.
David Orr, chief executive of the NHF, has published a blog arguing that for-profits should not have the right to call themselves housing associations.
In Scotland, the spotlight is on the private rented sector, with a government reporting finding that it has become “completely unaffordable” in some areas. The BBC has the story.
According to the report, the introduction of Universal Credit has led to an increase in rent arrears.
The expansion of the private rented sector into spaces previously occupied by social housing is one of the topics discussed on this week’s episode of The Housing Podcast.
This shortage of social housing has also led to councils taking drastic action, and the HuffPost has revealed that Birmingham Council has moved almost 2,000 households into temporary accommodation up to 100 miles away in the past five years.
This morning, The Guardian’s Phil McDuff takes on the topic, arguing that the ‘big society’ has failed to materialise and, instead, austerity has allowed predatory landlords and loan sharks to exploit those in dire housing need.
On social media
Inside Housing is marking the 50-year anniversary of the Ronan Point disaster in Canning Town, east London.
This week is the 50th anniversary of the Ronan Point disaster in east London - we will be bringing you articles on building safety throughout the week to mark the anniversary #ukhousing pic.twitter.com/hSpxs0J6CY
— Inside Housing (@insidehousing)This week is the 50th anniversary of the Ronan Point disaster in east London - we will be bringing you articles on building safety throughout the week to mark the anniversary #ukhousing pic.twitter.com/hSpxs0J6CY
— Inside Housing (@insidehousing) May 14, 2018
And also marking history is Bristol Council, which responded to the end of World War I with housing policy.
100 years ago today, Bristol City Council decided to buy land to 2,000 new homes when the war ended #bristol #UKhousing pic.twitter.com/oiQfa1rtsn
— Paul Smith (@housingpaul)100 years ago today, Bristol City Council decided to buy land to 2,000 new homes when the war ended #bristol #UKhousing pic.twitter.com/oiQfa1rtsn
— Paul Smith (@housingpaul) May 14, 2018
What’s on
The Grenfell debate in Westminster Hall is scheduled for 4.30pm. There will be a rally of survivors between 3pm and 6pm in Parliament Square and a silent vigil to mark 11 months since the tragedy at 7pm in North Kensington.
Before that, the Public Accounts Select Committee will hear evidence from a variety of witnesses on housing provision for the families of soldiers.
