The Housing and Communities Select Committee met to discuss rehousing policies following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, review the council's response to a resident-led review of the housing repairs service, and consider improvements to public consultation engagement. Key decisions included the endorsement of using discretionary powers to include legacy Grenfell evacuees in rehousing support and recommendations for enhancing the council's consultation processes.

Grenfell Rehousing Policies: Performance Update

The committee received an update on the performance of various rehousing policies implemented after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, including the Grenfell Rehousing Policy, the Grenfell Settled Homes Policy, the Wider Grenfell Rehousing Policy, and the Local Lettings Plan (LLP) for the Lancaster West Estate and Bramley House.

Under the Grenfell Rehousing Policy, 200 out of 201 eligible households have moved into permanent homes, with one household finalising their move. The Grenfell Settled Homes Policy has seen 36 households move for a second time to a new permanent home, with five more awaiting completion of works. Additionally, 21 bereaved households not resident in Grenfell Tower or Walk but impacted by the tragedy have been rehoused through tailored support.

The Wider Grenfell Rehousing Policy has rehoused 132 households, with approximately 40 remaining registered. The Local Lettings Plan for the Lancaster West Estate and Bramley House has rehoused 89 households. The report noted that the majority of lettings under the LLP have been to smaller homes, reflecting a mix of downsizing tenants and the need to alleviate overcrowding by rehoused adult household members separately. A lack of accessible homes, particularly larger ones, has contributed to fewer moves on health grounds.

The report also highlighted that not all residents impacted by the Grenfell Tower tragedy qualified for these specific policies. These individuals, including private rented tenants and family members of tenants, were supported on a case-by-case basis through mainstream housing pathways, with 13 such individuals and families from the Lancaster West Estate and Bramley House rehoused into settled accommodation.

A significant focus was placed on the Lancaster West Refurbishment Decant Scheme (RDS), which allows residents to move to a refurbished home on the estate to minimise disruption during refurbishment. 56 households have transferred through this scheme.

The committee also discussed the wider housing need in the borough, noting unprecedented levels of homelessness. Between April and July 2025, households approaching Kensington and Chelsea as homeless or at risk of homelessness increased by 118 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. The report indicated that securing affordable homes in the private rented sector remains a valuable tool, and the total number of households in temporary accommodation has fallen below 2,000 for the first time in many years, though the net cost continues to rise. As of November 2025, 2,848 households were verified and actively in a position to be rehoused through the Housing Register, with homeless households in temporary accommodation representing over 60 per cent of this demand. The supply of social housing lettings continues to fall short of demand, with over 60 per cent of lettings between 2021 and 2025 being for studio and one-bedroom homes.

The report also detailed plans for a future review of the Local Lettings Plan for the Lancaster West Estate and Bramley House, with early engagement planned for later in 2026. This review will consider the LLP's original purpose, its continued ability to meet housing needs, its role in supporting estate refurbishment, and how to balance responsibilities with the needs of other residents and homeless households. The council is awaiting a government announcement on future funding for the estate's refurbishment, which will inform any review and reprofiling of the refurbishment programme.

A representation from the Chair of Bramley House Residents' Association was included, highlighting the plight of legacy Grenfell evacuees from Barandon Walk, Hurstway Walk, Testerton Walk, and Bramley House. These residents, who were evacuated or left behind during the Grenfell fire and continue to experience trauma, are excluded from the Wider Grenfell Rehousing Policy and the Local Lettings Plan due to their housing status at the time (e.g., placed by other boroughs or in temporary accommodation). The representation argued that this exclusion is an administrative technicality and called for the Director of Housing Needs to exercise discretionary powers to include these residents in Grenfell-related rehousing routes, with a request for all such cases to be resolved within 90 days.

The committee was asked to reflect and comment on the report.

Responding to Resident-Led Review of the Housing Repairs Service

The committee reviewed the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's (RBKC) response to the recommendations made by a Resident-Led Panel that reviewed the Housing Repairs Service. The council welcomed the panel's findings and has implemented measures to address key areas for improvement, including enhancing digital access through a Housing Repairs Portal, introducing targeted professional triage, improving resident communication and case ownership, and strengthening quality assurance and cost control processes.

The panel identified concerns regarding resident access to the repairs service, noting an over-reliance on telephone reporting and inconsistencies in call handling. They recommended an online portal for real-time updates and the submission of videos and photos. While the council accepts these recommendations, the development of the online portal has been impacted by the cyber security attack in November 2025.

Concerns were also raised about the risk of misdiagnosis due to insufficient technical insight at the initial reporting stage. The council agrees with the need for stronger professional triage and has enhanced technical oversight through training and the use of diagnostic systems. The panel also highlighted a lack of single ownership for repair requests, leading to residents speaking to multiple staff members. The council is exploring dedicated case workers for complex repairs and skill-based routing via a new telephony platform.

Communication with residents was noted as lacking an active approach, with limited evidence of appointment confirmations beyond verbal or mailed letters. The council is developing existing technology to provide courtesy updates and is reviewing customer access channels. The panel's recommendations for resident engagement, including a communications campaign to promote the new portal and clarify repair categories, have been accepted and will be incorporated into the resident involvement strategy.

Regarding cost control, quality assurance, and contractor performance, the panel provided operational recommendations to strengthen contractor monitoring. The council reassured the panel that approval thresholds for contractor estimates are in place, and regular contractor meetings with performance and financial reviews are conducted. The repairs service is also enforcing mandatory before-and-after photographs for contractors and conducting targeted post-inspections.

The council commits to monitoring the implementation of accepted recommendations and providing regular feedback to the Resident Panel and the Tenant's Consultative Committee.

Consultation Working Group Report

The committee reviewed the report of the Consultation Engagement Working Group, which conducted a deep dive into how the council can improve its consultation and engagement processes. The working group recommended that the Leadership Team proactively circulate a list of live consultations and We Asked, You Said, We Did updates to all councillors on a monthly basis. They also recommended establishing a clear and transparent process for selecting sub-groups of the Citizens' Panel and ensuring ward councillors are emailed the outcomes of ward-specific consultations. Furthermore, the report suggested considering the wording of the 'perception' question used to measure if residents feel their input makes a difference.

The report highlighted the success of the 2026-27 budget consultation, which saw a significant increase in responses due to earlier planning, a structured communications campaign, and multi-channel engagement. Recommendations stemming from this case study include ensuring departments engage with the Consultation and Participation Team and Communications Team early in the planning process, making provision for an informal consultation period on budget proposals, and ensuring all consultations have a clear call-to-action and a How does this affect me? narrative. The report also recommended working more with third-party organisations to strengthen community ownership and considering a dedicated budget for consultations.

The working group also examined consultations within Housing Management, noting low response rates often due to the technical and legislative nature of policy changes. Housing Management is revising its approach to focus on fewer, higher-quality consultations and using delegated authority for policy changes that cannot be influenced by residents. Recommendations included involving Residents' Associations to raise awareness of consultations and asking them to share links via their email lists. The report also suggested trialling additional survey questions to gauge resident satisfaction or identify reasons for non-engagement.

Methods of communication were also discussed, with the council utilising social media, its website, leaflets, posters, and email newsletters. The report recommended including councillors as a communication channel, allocating a budget for consultations, creating a council-wide consultation pipeline to prevent clashes, and fostering closer collaboration between the Transformation, Digital & Data Team and the Consultation and Participation Teams.

Select Committee Work Programme

The committee received an update on its work programme and scrutiny activities. The programme is developed based on members' priorities for the municipal year and aims to scrutinise topics related to housing services, partnerships, social housing, housing stock management, housing strategy, and community relations. Grenfell recovery remains a priority, with ongoing work on matters affecting communities affected by the tragedy. The work programme has been adjusted since the previous meeting, with a written briefing on Sheltered Accommodation and an upcoming online briefing on housing needs complaints data noted. The committee was asked to discuss and agree the work programme.