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Grenfell council appoints new director for rehousing process
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) has appointed a new director to oversee the continuing work of rehousing the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Rachel Sharpe will join the council as housing needs and supply director on 29 January, replacing Maxine Holdsworth who was on secondment from Islington.
Ms Sharpe joins from south London borough Lambeth and will oversee the rehousing process, which Ms Holdsworth has been working on.
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The council has faced sharp criticism for the pace of its efforts to rehouse survivors of the blaze on 14 June 2017.
However, it is now closing in on finishing the project with 200 or 202 households evacuated from the tower and surrounding area having accepted a permanent home.
A total of 171 have moved into a home of their own, with 20 in temporary accommodation, six in serviced apartments or staying with friends and three in hotels.
The council has spent £200m acquiring 300 homes for the rehousing process.
Robyn Fairman, executive director for Grenfell at RBKC, said: “Rachel comes with extensive experience across housing and capital projects in London, having worked in director roles in Lambeth and at a similar level in Southwark, and I know she will be a great for Kensington and Chelsea.
“I know we are all sorry to see Maxine Holdsworth go back to Islington and wish her all the best for her new job. Maxine has done an amazing job and I want to thank her again for her hard work and dedication.
“Rachel will work closely with our director of housing management, Doug Goldring, to provide the leadership that housing services in Kensington and Chelsea will need to meet the challenges ahead.”
