John Gray is leading Newham's housing response as the council grants a 100 per cent discretionary council-tax reduction to residents evacuated from five Canning Town blocks.
The relief applies automatically to residents who have moved out of Centurion Tower, St Vincent Court and Sovereign Tower from 23 October, and Thanet Tower and Prince Court from 30 October. It will be reviewed monthly.
Eligible businesses forced to close will also receive temporary Business Rates Hardship Relief from the relevant evacuation date while they remain unable to use their premises.
The measures follow Dangerous Structural Notices affecting all five buildings. The council's housing service is providing advice and assessing requests for assistance under homelessness law.
Developer Galliard Homes has separately offered to reimburse reasonable relocation and temporary-accommodation costs until 19 November. Newham said it is not a party to that arrangement and cannot determine or guarantee individual claims.
Gray is Newham's statutory deputy mayor and cabinet member for housing. Labour holds the directly elected mayoralty and is the largest council group, but the borough is under no overall control after Labour won 26 of 66 seats in May.
