NHF response to government announcements on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report

In answer to the government's response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report, Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation said:

“We must learn the lessons from the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower and hold those responsible to account, to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again. We welcome the government’s focus on greater oversight for manufacturers of construction products and higher standards for new homes. However, to date manufacturers of unsafe materials have not contributed towards the costs of making buildings safe.

“Housing associations are doing everything they can to make their homes safe as quickly as possible, however social housing tenants still cannot access government funding to remove non-ACM combustible cladding on their homes. The lack of funding is not only affecting the pace of remediation in social housing but forcing not-for-profit housing associations to divert money away from services for residents and building new homes, to cover these colossal costs.

“The money to fund this work is coming from people on the lowest incomes in this country, and to make matters worse, means fewer homes will be built for those in dire situations on housing waiting lists, living in overcrowded homes and stuck in temporary accommodation. The government must put an end to this unfair funding regime and give social housing providers and their residents equal access to building safety funding.”