Almost 2,000 homes near Grenfell Tower lying EMPTY as authorities struggle to rehouse victims of tragic tower fire
And around 700 have been empty for more than two years
ALMOST 2,000 homes in Kensington and Chelsea are lying empty as authorities struggle to rehome victims and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.
A total of 696 have been empty for more than two years and are slapped with an 50 per cent increase in their council tax, new figures released to
And around 50 of them have been unoccupied for up to 15 YEARS, separate council figures say.
The news comes as officials desperately try and find suitable homes for some of the 129 households affected by the West London blaze.
Up to 80 are dead or missing and feared dead after the tower block went up in blames last month - thought to have been aided by flammable cladding.
Last week the communities secretary said just 10 families had taken up and moved into new accommodation provided to them after the fire.
And the Government admitted that it could take up to a YEAR to get everyone a new home.
More than a hundred families are still living in hotel accommodation - because they don't want to have to move twice, or they have yet to be offered somewhere they think is suitable.
The total number of empty properties stands at 1,858.
50 have works in progress, but 1,111 are unoccupied and mostly unfurnished, the council said in a Freedom of Information request.
Most of them reside in the Brompton and Hans Town borough.
Local MP for Kensington, Emma Dent Coad, said that it was a "disgrace" that so many people were allowed to buy up homes and not live there, just to !park their money, when we have so many homeless people".
"We must have policies to stop this before even more parts of Kensington become a luxury ghost town,” she added.
