Indeed for thousands across the capital, the cladding crisis is not only a safety issue but a financial one. “The recent fire in Dagenham is a stark reminder that not only could our flat bankrupt us, but that we’re also putting our children to bed in an incredibly unsafe building,” says photographer Catherine Losing, 39, a flat owner in Hackney. The building her flat is part of is under 11 metres tall, so she has no guarantee from the government or the housing association that looks after it that she won’t be liable in full for all the remediation costs. “We are trapped as leaseholders of flats that cannot be sold,” says retirees John and Anne Palmiero, who are the leaseholders of several affected flats in Holloway. The management company for the Spectrum Building where the fire took place in Dagenham, Block Management UK, is yet to respond to requests for comment.