High Rise Flats: Bethnal Green and Bow

(asked on 21st October 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will ask the Regulator for Social Housing to commence an investigation into whether residents of Clare House have suffered serious detriment that would amount to a breach of its regulatory standards through the way those residents have been dealt with by Clarion Housing Group since they first started raising concerns about their own safety in the wake of the fire at Grenfell Tower in June 2017.


Answered by
Christopher Pincher Portrait
Christopher Pincher
This question was answered on 28th October 2021

All registered providers of social housing are expected to make sure that their properties are well managed and of appropriate quality, and they must comply with the regulatory standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing. Landlords are required to engage with their tenants and put things right as soon as possible. The regulator considers all relevant referrals and complaints it receives to ascertain whether there has been a breach of the consumer standards that risks or caused serious harm to tenants that might warrant further regulatory action. The Regulator does not have a role in proactively seeking tenants’ views on the performance of their landlord. Following the commitments made in the Charter for Social Housing Residents, we will give the Regulator stronger powers to proactively monitor and drive compliance with consumer standards, including new tenant satisfaction measures to help assess landlord performance on issues like repairs and complaints handling.

The Department has been in regular contact with Clarion Housing Group and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets regarding the situation at Clare House. Clarion Housing Group has responsibility for the safety of residents at Clare House and for providing residents with appropriate alternative accommodation following the decision to decant residents from the building. Clarion Housing Group has confirmed that they have made residents a comprehensive offer of support which will include permanent alternative accommodation. The Department and the Local Authority expects Clarion Housing Group to move quickly to provide alternative permanent accommodation and provide support to evacuated residents for as long as it is required.

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