Ealing's Jerome Tower faces demolition by 2024. This unique tower, reminiscent of a different era in London's housing development, stands as a stark contrast amid modern duplexes, often seen by Piccadilly Line travellers to Acton Town. 

The 15-floor building currently sits in semi-abandonment, with only four of its 70+ apartments occupied. Large portions of the tower have decayed and remain inaccessible due to sealed-off floors, creating an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of post-apocalyptic settings. 

Residents like Liz Kovacs, a stage 4 cancer patient, face uncertainty about their housing future. She, along with other residents, is scheduled to vacate by November, as the tower is handed over to developers. 

Salah Hassanein, Ex-Jerome Tower resident (image via Rory Bennett/MyLondon).

Salah Hussanein, a former resident, was reluctantly forced to move despite concerns about his new accommodation. He highlights issues with his new home's plumbing and security, emphasizing potential dangers for his children. 

He said: "The toilet downstairs just has a toilet, not a sink which I feel is against housing regulations because if you have a toilet you have to have a sink." 

He added: "We used to have some intruders. I kept complaining and complaining. I called and called, and they never answered. They would come through the lower windows, and they would be in there until 4am with drugs, about 15 people. 

Eventually the housing association (Genesis) and the council helped to boarder up the windows. 

Despite its dramatic history, Salah believes Jerome Tower could have been renovated instead of being demolished, given its substantial capacity. 

Salah said: "I don't know why they have to demolish it, if you don't have anywhere to put people, why demolish it? There are 15 floors, 6 flats to a floor that's a lot of apartments." 

Kancha Bwengele, Jerome Tower resident (image via Rory Bennett/MyLondon).

Ealing Council, on the other hand, asserts that the Acton Gardens regeneration project, set for completion around 2027, will bring about 3,400 new homes, including 1,250 social housing units. This marks a significant increase in housing compared to before the regeneration project began. 

Kancha Bwengele, a resident trapped in the tower due to housing benefit issues, hopes for resolution but fears eviction might be the only way out. 

"They said with the amount of arrears they are not going to move us out of here. They aren't going to help." 

Kancha said that the council has been moving people into the building for years, all the time knowing that it was due to be demolished. 

 "The building's going down, it was always going down. My question to them was when you put us here, what was the long-term goal?" 

Kancha's eldest daughter Cylla said the rapid change and lack of clarity about what is going to happen to her home has been hard. 

Cylla said: "It's a bit depressing and I'm worried about my family, and I don't have any confirmation about where I live, it's a bit sad you know. 

From growing up in the area as a little kid Cylla said she has seen Acton change dramatically. "This is my home, and I don't know much about other places, so it is a bit crazy for me and people who are just like me, trying to get them out of here and stuff it's just not really great. 

She added: "It doesn't really feel like home." 

While some residents have protested the regeneration project, Ealing Council maintains that it's essential for providing genuinely affordable homes in the borough. The project aims to address the housing crisis and includes a substantial increase in social housing units. 

Ealing Council is actively working to assist Jerome Tower residents in their transition, with plans to move two residents within the next six to eight weeks and a commitment to reviewing communal areas soon.