Tower block residents still have to pay rent despite evacuation

People forced to leave their flats in an unsafe tower block in Bristol are still being asked to pay rent – because the council is paying to put them up in hotels. But Mayor Marvin Rees[1] said the council’s housing staff are ‘being very empathetic’ about the situation, because of the ongoing challenges being endured by families living out of one hotel room. A spokesperson for Bristol City Council[2] told Bristol Live that more formal discussions with residents about the situation with rent payments for the flats in Barton House had not yet taken place, as the council was prioritising sorting out issues around the emergency hotel accommodation first.

But the Mayor of Bristol confirmed he had spoken to a number of residents to make it clear that, in principle, the council would be charging rent to those evacuated who are now living in a hotel. The evacuation last Tuesday evening, November 13, saw 94 households asked to leave the 98-home Barton House. Four flats were found to be empty at the time.

Many went to stay with friends and relatives, but with the situation now going into its second week, and no prospect of a return until December at the earliest, the number of households being housed at the Holiday Inn in the city centre has risen to 67, with 13 households remaining with friends and family, and 14 opting to defy the council’s evacuation order and return or remain at Barton House. Bristol Live understands that those who are staying with friends and family won’t be asked to pay rent this month, but those in a council-funded hotel may well be, even though the flat they pay rent for has been declared unsafe. The Mayor of Bristol said that this was because the council was still legally fulfilling its duty to house them, but housing officers and support staff are working with the residents on other issues like the utilities bills they would still be incurring too.

“I’ve talked to a couple of residents. In terms of those in the hotels, they are (being charged rent) at the moment, but we’re being very empathetic about that,” the Mayor said. “But at the same time we are providing accommodation, food and services for people. “Talking to the residents who have fed back as well, on bills, we have done a bit of outreach to the utilities companies to say ‘if you have customers who are residents of Barton House, please reach out and offer some flexibility to them as well’, we’re obviously trying to wrap ourselves around people’s challenges,” he added.

A rent pause and November’s rent to be reimbursed is one of five demands set out by ACORN Bristol[5], the tenants union which has a number of residents of Barton House as members.

ACORN Bristol is calling for an independent investigation into what has happened at Barton House, the residents to be re-housed locally, November’s rent to be reimbursed and a rent pause, compensation for residents and support for the mental health and childcare for all affected residents.

References

1. ^ Marvin Rees (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
2. ^ Bristol City Council (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
3. ^ Rumours and fury as evacuated Barton House residents hit out at council (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
4. ^ Mayor in row with ACORN over Barton House Holiday Inn fracas (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
5. ^ one of five demands set out by ACORN Bristol (www.bristolpost.co.uk)