Britain's Dangerous Buildings: Is My Home Safe?

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Britain’s Dangerous Buildings - Is My Home Safe?

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BBC News Channel - Britain's Dangerous Buildings: Is My Home Safe?

Sarah Corker investigates the severe financial impact on those trapped in dangerous homes.

Sarah Corker investigates the severe financial and mental health impact on those trapped in dangerous homes and explores the root causes of this spiralling cladding scandal. 

Concerns over building safety were triggered by the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, where 72 people died. The external cladding was found to be the primary cause of the rapid spread of the fire. What followed was a reassessment of fire safety on high-rise buildings across the UK.

Today, an estimated 700,000 people are still living in tower blocks wrapped in dangerous, flammable materials, and are now facing eye-watering bills to make their properties safe. Some have already declared bankruptcy.

BBC business correspondent Sarah Corker and producer/director James Stewart investigate the severe financial and mental health impact on those trapped in dangerous homes and explore the root causes of this spiralling scandal. They reveal that those who bought through the government’s affordable housing schemes, often first-time buyers on low incomes, are now facing demands of tens of thousands of pounds. Industry experts have told the BBC that systemic failures of building regulations date back decades and that warnings about a lack of independent oversight and quality issues on building sites were ignored.

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