Industry News


Cramped and overcrowded housing helped fuel spread of Covid


to research by the Health Foundation, an independent charity and think tank working to improve the nation’s health and the standard of health care. People living in cramped conditions have been


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more exposed to the coronavirus and were less able to reduce their risk of infection because their homes were so small, the thinktank found. Overcrowding was a key reason why poorer people and those from ethnic minority backgrounds in particular had been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, it said. Health Foundation researchers also concluded


that overcrowding, together with other housing problems such as damp and insecure tenancies, had led to a rise in physical and mental health illness. “Since March many of us have spent a lot more


time at home. For many, the quality of their home has made their experience of the pandemic even worse than it needed to be,” said Adam Tinson, a senior analyst at the foundation. “While some have weathered lockdown in


large homes with gardens and plenty of living space, others have struggled in overcrowded and unsafe conditions. Overcrowding is associated with the spread of Covid-19, making self-isolation more difficult and allowing the


Grenfell Inquiry resumes on Zoom with shocking revelations


The public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire resumed its hearings after being suspended amid the national lockdown, but with a similar message ‘maximising profits took precedence over safety’. Internal communications from within Arconic


revealed that staff were aware the ACM cladding panels attached to the tower were dangerous and a fire hazard for at least six years beforehand, but fire safety test results were hidden from customers or their use was manipulated, as the company strove to significantly increase its market share. The inquiry heard the company sought to “keep


secret” differences between the polyethylene panels (the type used on Grenfell) and its more fire- retardant version. It was shown a report from a 2004 fire test in a French laboratory of the panels that had to be stopped after 850 seconds because it was emitting too much heat.


vercrowded housing has helped to spread Covid-19 in England and may have increased the number of deaths, according


virus to spread through more people if one becomes infected.” Data from the English Housing Survey for 2019/20 was released in December showing that just before the pandemic hit in March last year, 830,000 households in England were living in overcrowded, mostly rented properties. That was 200,000 more than the number of overcrowded homes a decade earlier. Many of these homes also suffered from problems with damp and mould. “People’s housing environments have affected


their ability to shield themselves and others from Covid-19. People have been encouraged to stay in their homes as much as possible, but within- household transmission has played a serious role in the spread of the virus,” the analysis says. “Overcrowding, which has been increasing in the


years prior to the pandemic, makes it harder to self- isolate and shield, and may have contributed to higher death rates in poorer areas.” He added that 8 per cent of households with the lowest income lived in overcrowded homes, compared with fewer than 1 per cent of those with the highest earnings. Similarly, “Ethnic minority households are five


times more likely to be overcrowded than white households, illustrating just one of the ways in which existing housing disparities are combining with the pandemic to further widen inequalities in health.”


Debbie French, the UK sales manager for


Arconic from 2007 to 2014, told the inquiry she estimated fire-resistant Reynobond would have cost about €28,000-€30,000 more to install on Grenfell Tower than the polyethylene (PE) version that was ultimately used. Claude Wehrle, Arconic’s technical manager,


ordered staff not to release to customers information about the difference between the polyethylene-filled panels and the fire-retardant version. Ms French said she had never been told about the failure but agreed it was a “very serious omission”. And yet it was the PE panels that were used by Arconic in the UK “by default”. Wehrle is one of three current or former Arconic


staff refusing to give evidence to the inquiry. He and the other two employees are likely to be empty chaired. The inquiry was adjourned in early December and had been due to resume on 11 January, but its resumption (via Zoom) was delayed until early February. Last year the inquiry heard more than 400 hours


of evidence, from 53 witnesses. Some witnesses claimed they did not have a full grasp of the building regulations relating to the tower’s refurbishment, even though having this knowledge was an integral part of their job. The inquiry heard how 17 companies worked on the refurbishment project through a complex


6 | HMM February/March 2021 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk People being forced to spend more time in


overcrowded homes during the various lockdowns has also caused or worsened mental health problems, especially those suffering distress. “This analysis shows that mental ill-health has


been a particular issue for those in overcrowded households during the pandemic, especially in the first lockdown. The chronic lack of affordable housing options, combined with years of reductions in support for housing costs, have led us to this point,” said Tinson.


web of contracting and subcontracting arrangements. Lead counsel Richard Millett accused some witnesses of taking part in a “merry go-round of buck passing” while some staff of Celotex and Kingspan admitted that their marketing material was misleading. It was also revealed that in the aftermath of the


fire, when investigators looked at the cladding and how it had been installed on Grenfell Tower, they found a catalogue of errors. For example many of the cavity barriers, intended to stop fire spreading were poorly fitted or installed in the wrong place. Some were even attached back to front, which stopping them from working. In December it emerged that Government


ministers have been called to give evidence to the inquiry, which could see several senior politicians being cross-examined about their actions before and after the fire. Key figures have already been asked to provide written statements and some will face detailed questioning in public. No doubt there be a focus on the failure to implement recommendations from the coroner, following the Lakanal House fire. It is clear there will be a lot more twists and turns


before the inquiry eventually concludes, but hopefully we will emerge at the end of it with a stronger and safer regime for the construction and maintenance of residential buildings.


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