We are now more than eight years on from Grenfell. While the headlines have faded, thousands of people still wake up each day in homes that have been confirmed unsafe, or are awaiting confirmation of whether they even meet safety standards. For some, the daily reality includes waking watch patrols pacing the corridors. For others, it is the financial blow of insurance premiums that have jumped tenfold, service charges that keep climbing, and a property valuation that sits at zero. For all of them, it is the unshakable knowledge that their home is not as safe as it should be.
This week’s conversation will be hosted by Gareth Wax and joined by Hamish McLay, Stephen Day from Royal Artillery Quays, and Melisa White, a resident in a block of flats in Southampton that has been forced to evacuate her home due to building defects. Stephen and Melisa both know first-hand what it means to live in a building affected by cladding and safety issues. Their insight brings a human dimension to a problem that is too often talked about in percentages and policy briefings rather than in lived experience.
The numbers themselves tell a grim story. National surveys of residents living in unsafe buildings reveal that around 90 percent have seen their mental health deteriorate. More than 70 percent say they have developed serious sleeping difficulties. Nearly one in four have experienced thoughts of self-harm or suicide. These are not statistics from a small fringe group. They reflect the reality for thousands of ordinary people who bought their homes in good faith, only to find themselves trapped in a situation they could neither have predicted nor prevented.
It is not just about fear of fire, although that alone is enough to unsettle anyone. It is the grinding uncertainty. When you do not know if your building will be remediated next year, in five years, or not at all, it becomes almost impossible to plan ahead. Life events are postponed. People delay starting families, moving for work, or retiring, because they are tethered to an unsafe home they cannot sell. Every passing month without progress reinforces the feeling of being stuck.
Adding to the frustration is the pace of remediation. The government’s own targets stretch several years into the future, and critics argue that the progress so far is too slow to meet even those extended deadlines. Each delay comes at a human cost, which is rarely factored into the official calculations.
This Friday, we will be talking about how it feels to live with that constant background tension and the cumulative strain it places on mental health. We will look at the resilience of the communities who have come together to support one another, as well as the gaps in formal mental health support for those living in these circumstances. Stephen and Melisa will share their own perspectives on what daily life looks like when you are living with risk, or when you have already been forced to leave your home behind.
It is easy to talk about cladding in terms of construction standards, funding schemes and project deadlines. Yet for the people still waiting, this crisis is as much about wellbeing as it is about fire safety. By listening to their stories and recognising the mental health toll, we can begin to push for solutions that address the human side of the problem as well as the technical one.
Cladding Matters – Friday 22nd August at 1pm
PS:
For content enquiries:
For podcast/media info: