Leaseholders of Cardinal Lofts have joined forces with a campaigner in a bid to introduce new laws that will protect homeowners across the country.
Commonhold Now, a grassroots campaign organisation committed to homeownership by ending the leasehold system for existing and new residential properties, is now cooperating with the residents of the Ipswich Waterfront building.
The organisation aims to see flat and homeowners gain control of their property by, among others, pushing forward the Law Commission’s proposed leasehold reforms.
Commonhold Now hopes they are included in the King’s Speech in November this year and are passed into law before the next general election.
As part of Commonhold Now’s video media campaign, it is speaking to leaseholders and letting them tell their own stories, including the residents of Cardinal Lofts.
Ipswich MP Tom Hunt and Jack Abbott, Labour's parliamentary candidate for Ipswich, also participated in the project.
Cardinal Lofts leaseholder and founder of Ipswich Cladiators, Alex Dickin, said: "We jumped at the chance to work with Commonhold Now and highlight our individual stories.
"Every story for every affected leaseholder is different and personal.
"Out of all of this, there are thousands of individual stories for those being seriously negatively affected in many different ways, which is reflective of the differing problems for defects on each block.
"The current proposed government ‘solution’ not being fit for purpose when failed regulations is the root cause of the problem.
"Therefore, the government has the moral responsibility to find a comprehensive solution that does not exclude, as it currently does."
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Harry Scoffin, the co-founder of anti-leasehold campaign group Commonhold Now, said: "Commonhold Now: End Leasehold for Real Homeownership is about giving all leaseholders in England and Wales a voice.
"We are a non-for-profit campaign by leaseholders for leaseholders.
"We need leasehold abolition in the King's Speech this November.
"Meanwhile, the Building Safety Act needs fixing so unqualified leaseholders, like those at Cardinal Lofts, are properly protected from these sky-high remediation costs.
"We are going up and down the country speaking to leaseholders and filming their stories.
"Of course, the story of Cardinal Lofts leaseholders is a cladding and building safety crisis one, but perfectly demonstrates how the leasehold system makes things even worse.
"It is truly remarkable that a £37 billion pension fund freeholder has seemingly only sprung into action when the building has been evacuated and now they are on the hook for the leaseholders' accommodation costs.
"We were thrilled Ipswich Cladiators were one of the first groups of leaseholders to reach out for a video collaboration."
A spokesperson for the freeholder of Cardinal Lofts, Grey GR, said: "We understand this is a distressing time for residents and leaseholders, however, the decision to evacuate the building was made in the best interests and safety of residents and was not made lightly.
"This building is extremely complex, but Grey is fully committed to remediating the building, with the aim of being able to return residents to safer homes as soon as possible.
"While Grey did not design or construct Cardinal Lofts, we remain committed to addressing building safety issues at the building and want residents to have safer homes.
"We will continue to communicate to leaseholders and residents on a regular basis, sharing updates as they become available."
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