Tower block residents face massive hikes in service charges, living in fear of a fire, and damaged mental health, according to a new survey.
The report was carried out by the Greater Manchester High-Rise Task Force which was set up by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham following the fire at Grenfell Tower.
It provides clear evidence of the impact of the financial worries that home owners in buildings with fire safety deficiencies across the region face.
Seven out of ten residents living in high rise buildings said they are worried about a fire in their building.
They endure increasing levels of anxiety, difficulty sleeping and feel trapped. The strain of their situation impacts on their personal lives and relationships.
Residents reported significant stress about the bills they face to make their homes safe, with some receiving demands of up to £30,000 in addition to large increases in service charges.
As reported in the Manchester Evening News, 78 apartment blocks in Greater Manchester are still not meeting safety standards almost three years on from Grenfell.
In November fears increased after fire tore through The Cube apartment block in Bolton.
It's understood that at least 30 of the 78 buildings are covered in the same style of aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding as Grenfell Tower.
After hearing the growing concerns of high rise residents in Greater Manchester, regional Mayor, Andy Burnham, and Mr Dennett are taking the issue to Parliament before the government sets its 2020/21 Budget on March 11th.
On Tuesday, February 25, they will join residents outside Westminster to lobby for more funding to tackle the issue.
The survey found:
*Seven in 10 residents living in high-rise buildings in the city-region say they are worried about a fire
*More than half of owner occupiers say they are suffering from increased service charge costs – one reports an increase from £90 to £400 a month
*Residents feel that fire safety risks in their homes and the associated financial costs are seriously impacting their mental health and wellbeing
*Homeowners report few improvement to their buildings – just 12% say cladding has been removed or replaced since Grenfell
More than half of owner occupiers say they are suffering from increased service charge costs – one owner occupier reveals their service charge had increased from £90 to £480 per month to cover cladding replacement – an increase of 433%.
Service charges vary by property and some leaseholders are being asked to pay to fund fire safety improvements on their buildings while others are having to collectively pay for a ‘waking watch’, which involves their corridors being patrolled overnight by watch officers.
Many leaseholders are unable to sell because lenders are unwilling to offer mortgages on new buyers without obtaining a building’s fire safety certificate.
Residents say that fire safety risks and the financial costs are impacting on their mental health.
One owner occupier commented: “We have now been told that our property is worth zero which has had a very damaging effect on our relationship and [my] mental health.”
Anastasia, a leaseholder living in Albion Works, said: “The situation for most high-rise residents is really dire.
"In my building we currently have a waking watch in place and have been given no indication of how much this is going to cost us.
"We can’t sell or remortgage our homes because they are essentially considered worthless and this is causing us all a lot of stress and worry.”
One resident completing the survey said their life had effectively frozen in time: “I have been trying to sell my apartment for the past 15 months. Two buyers have backed out of the sale as there was no cladding report. I’m still finding it hard to sell my apartment and move on.”
Salford's City Mayor Paul Dennett, said: “As Chair of the High-Rise Task Force I believe this survey provides a clear evidence base for the issues we have repeatedly raised about the ongoing struggles that residents are still burdened with over two and a half years after the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower.
"It encapsulates the scope of the concerns residents are dealing with many are unable to sell, insure or re-mortgage their homes and are faced with bankrupting bills just to make their homes safe from fire.
“This is a regulatory crisis on an industrial scale, the Government must own their rhetoric and prevent leaseholders continuing to pay the price through no fault of their own. Which is why we are holding a lobby of Parliament on the 25 February.”
