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Morning Briefing: tenants near Grenfell raise fears after contamination report
Residents of the estate near Grenfell Tower have said they fear for their health after a report found cancer-causing chemicals nearby.
In the news
The Guardian covers reaction from residents of the Lancaster West Estate to yesterday’s news that toxic chemicals had been found around the block where a fire killed 72 people in 2017.
One resident told the paper: “We have concerns about our health. We have kids. Where’s the border [for the reach of the contamination]? There’s a primary school here.”
In the same newspaper is a story on the number of children and pensioners in absolute poverty, which rose in 2017/18.
Official figures from the Department for Work and Pensions showed that inflation and accommodation took a bigger chunk out of household finances last year and inequality jumped.
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Also in The Guardian is a report on figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government showing that housebuilding slowed in the final three months of 2018.
The paper notes that despite Theresa May’s promise to make an increase in housebuilding her personal mission, 8% fewer homes were started in that quarter than in the previous one.
Nevertheless, the chief executive of Britain’s biggest house builder, Barratt, has been bullish in an interview with website Politics Home.
David Thomas said that quality housebuilding is driving UK GDP, contributing £40bn to the UK economy.
The Telegraph reports on figures from the Office for National Statistics on the affordability of housing in England and Wales.
According to the paper, housing affordability did not improve last year despite a slump in property prices.
In local news, Rochdale Online reports that the housing association Rochdale Boroughwide Housing has been asked to end the confusion over its regeneration of four tower blocks.
It plans to demolish the blocks, but the news website says that it has been difficult to pin down how many homes would replace them.
And further afield, The Guardian covers a report by science journal Nature, which finds that housing in sub-Saharan Africa has improved significantly, with a doubling of the number of people living in improved homes.
Nevertheless, it warned that almost half the urban population – 53 million people across the countries analysed – are living in slum conditions.
On social media
Complaints about repairs is the subject of our first ’spotlight’ report, sharing our learning to help landlords improve services and complaint handling t.co/DOOk9Rz3iv
— Housing Ombudsman (@HousingOmbuds)Complaints about repairs is the subject of our first 'spotlight' report, sharing our learning to help landlords improve services and complaint handling https://t.co/DOOk9Rz3iv
— Housing Ombudsman (@HousingOmbuds) March 28, 2019
What’s on
On the day originally scheduled for Brexit, Theresa May will attempt to put half her deal to a vote in the House of Commons
