We want Mayor Lutfur Rahman to stop Tower Hamlets Council from making homeless the survivors of the Shadwell fire.

The survivors will be made homeless and destitute after Ramadan if the Council does not change its position. Please sign the petition to stop this!

On 5th March 2023 there was a fire from an E-Bike battery at Maddocks House in Shadwell. The Landlord of the two bedroom flat had rented it to over 20 people who were sleeping in bunk beds and on the floor, without heating or use of the washing machine. The Landlord was making about £8,000 per month from ruthlessly exploiting students, asylum seekers and other vulnerable people.  One person died in the fire - Mizanur Rahman. He has a family with a wife and two children in Bangladesh. He had arrived just 10 days previously as a tourist. 

Tower Hamlets Council (Licencing, Environmental Health, and Tower Hamlets Homes) had multiple complaints from residents of Maddocks House over 18 months before the fire, and very little was done to stop this illegal practice by the Landlord, who had been recently given an HMO licence (House with Multiple Occupation). Tower Hamlets Council could have prevented the death of Mizanur Rahman if it had taken timely action. 

Most of the survivors who are being temporarily accomodated by the Tower Hamlets Council are now being threatened with being made homeless by Tower Hamlets Council who have yet to help them find suitable private accomodation. The survivors are some of the most vulnerable in society and the Council should be helping them, especially since it could have prevented this tragedy happening, which led to their current homelessness.

We want the Mayor Lutfur Rahman to intervene and make good on his promise that he will do as much as possible to help the survivors. He has to ask the Council to not force the survivors into homelessness and destitution. 

Good article explaining the issues and interviews with survivors - see link below:

https://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2023/03/survivors-of-fatal-shadwell-fire-speak-out-we-warned-this-would-happen/