Media Release 27/08/2024 – Immediate Release

We were shocked to hear of the fire that engulfed a block of flats in Dagenham, East London in the early hours of Monday morning, 26 August 2024. This must have been such a traumatising experience for all the residents and the surrounding community, with thoughts of Grenfell too frightening to consider. 

Thanks to the action of residents supporting each other and to the London Fire Brigade’s rapid response, an even worse outcome was averted. 

It is shocking that seven years after the Grenfell fire, non-compliant cladding was still in place, and that the blocks “had a number of fire safety issues”. 

Joanna from Action for Fire Safety Justice said:

“We were saddened but unfortunately not surprised to hear of the residential block fire in Dagenham. Anyone familiar with the building safety crisis knows that it’s another tragedy waiting to happen. The slow pace not only of remediation but also of regulation changes is absolutely unacceptable.”

The government needs to fund the immediate removal of combustible cladding across all housing, and draw up an emergency plan to address fire safety issues that put our lives at risk. 

The residents and community in Grenfell were neglected and abandoned by those in power. Lessons must be learned, and this time, urgent support and care must be provided for the people of Dagenham.

Homes for All UK

ENDS

Notes for Editors

Homes For All is a broad based coalition of housing campaigners and organisations, tenants and the labour and trade union movement. We are currently involved in a joint initiative with Defend Council Housing for council housing as the only solution to the housing crisis. 5 Point PLan for Council Housing

Please contact Home for All for further details:

Email:  infohfanew1@gmail.com

Mobile: 07904 53458

Register now for the action and film screening.
Wednesday 13 March, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Homes for All be joining NEF, Homes For Us, Medact, Inclusion London and many more, to show the government that our homes must be safe.

Register here: Mould Is Political – Action and Film Screening (actionnetwork.org)

Up to 100 people joined Fuel Poverty Action on 6 March. Homes for All and activists from Unite Community, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), Greenpeace and many more turned up outside Parliament for the Unite 4 Energy For All protest to highlight the number of people suffering due to cold and damp homes.

The Spring Budget will continue government’s policies which actively contributed to hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths.

Speakers called for radical change in the interests of working class people and an end to the drive for profits and protecting private companies.

More pics on our FB page

Please sign the online 5 point plan for council housing – this petition calls for a radical housing policy: https://forms.gle/Tf6QHtVW7iFV6RsW7

In the latest feedback sessions local residents and councillors met in Southwark and Lancaster.

The Lancaster meeting highlighted more demolition and sell off threats to a local estate.

We have since learned of a decision to demolish six blocks in Leeds, and emergency evacuation of a Bristol estate block.

Further Inquiry sessions are planned, including the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) and also in Manchester, Luton, Reading and Bristol .

The deadline for responses has been extended. There is still time to organise a feedback session in your area.

The deadline for email and written submissions is 5th January 2024. You can respond in as much detail as you like. 

By email to matt.western.mp@parliament.uk   or by post to Council Housing Inquiry c/o DCH PO Box 33519 London E2 9WW More details here: https://mattwestern.org/news-article/appg-for-council-housing-inquiry/

APPG Inquiry launch report

Thanks to everyone who came along and also joined us online to listen and discuss with Peter Apps his book on how and why the Grenfell Fire happened. The meeting contributed to the debate around the need for radical changes to housing policy.

You can watch the video of the meeting on YouTube

A short video of housing activists who came together to join XR Housing and Radical Housing Network as part of Extinction Rebellion’s week long campaign to highlight the climate emergency and what needs to be done to save the planet.

A snapshot of the six speakers who joined the demand for radical change and action to bring about housing justice for all.

Six minute video here

National Housing Day of Action

Radical Housing Network are proposing a national housing Day of Action in July and are inviting all groups to be part of it. Homes 4 All has agreed to join.

There will be a planning meeting on 10 May at 7pm – Register here

Homes for All were pleased to welcome Zak, a St Mungo’s worker, to our national organising meeting on Saturday 15 April to tell us of their forthcoming strike.

Zak is a member of Unite and an outreach worker who along with around 600 other members voted overwhelmingly to reject a one off pay offer of £600 and following an imposed pay increase of 1.7% in 2021.

Like many Public Sector workers, Zak and his colleagues worked throughout Covid providing support and care to an often ignored section of society by the state. He spoke of the impact of homelessness on the client group they work with, but also how the cost of living crisis and lack of housing is now affecting his colleagues. As directors’ wages go up, front-line staff face financial hardship and increasing workloads whilst trying to provide a quality of service that their clients deserve.

Zak said the wave of strikes across the UK has given confidence to St Mungo’s workers and that they voted for the maximum strike days of 4 weeks. He talked about the importance of linking up with organisations like Homes for All. We sent solidarity greetings to the strikers and will encourage members to join the picket line.

Strike dates are 24 April to 21 May 2023

UNITE news article about the strike: https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2023/april/unite-blames-astonishing-management-indifference-for-a-month-long-strike-at-st-mungo-s/