On Sunday 30 July there was a leak at a women’s refuge in West London. Day-to-day management and support services are run by charity Hestia, while Notting Hill Housing owns the building and provides maintenance based on call-outs by Hestia.
At 1.58 am, Hestia’s on call manager received a call stating that water was leaking through the ceiling and the fire alarm had gone off. The fire brigade attended, and the Notting Hill Housing’s emergency repairs team were called and attended.
Hestia have stated their on-call manager spoke to each of the women individually throughout Sunday and offered them safe passage to a secure overnight room at another Hestia-managed building. It was explained to each of them that this was overnight accommodation only and they would be transferred back to the refuge as soon as the house was safe. The women decided that they would prefer to remain together in the secure rooms in the west London refuge overnight (Sunday 30 – Monday 31 July).
On the morning of Monday 31 July the housing repairs team from Notting Hill Housing came to carry out the repairs. Notting Hill Housing worked with Hestia to provide emergency hotel accommodation in the local area while further repairs and decorative work was completed. This local hotel accommodation was made available to all of the residents affected, and continues to be available for those that need it.
Five of the rooms are due to be completed today, ready for the residents to return if they wish, or for Hestia to provide to vulnerable women. Two others, which suffered more substantial damage, are still undergoing work but that is expected to be complete by the end of the week.
There was never any suggestion that the residents could not return to the refuge once repair work had been completed. Notting Hill Housing has a long history of providing housing support for women in need and we are proud of the service we provide, in partnership with support agencies.