The burned-out shell of the Grenfell Tower block is seen behind terraced houses as local residents look on near the scene of the fire in North Kensington, west London on June 20, 2017 | Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty Images Grenfell fire survivors to be housed in luxury flats The move follows calls from Jeremy Corbyn to requisition housing for survivors of the blaze.

Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire in London will be rehoused in luxury apartments worth at least £1.5 million each, the British government said Wednesday.

Starting from next month, families that escaped the blaze, in which 79 people died or are presumed dead, will move into apartments in the Kensington Row development. The 68 apartments were purchased by the Corporation of London and will become part of its social housing stock. They are part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the same area as Grenfell Tower. If bought on the open market, the luxury apartments range in price from £1.5 million to £8.5 million.

In a statement, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said the government was committed to supporting survivors of the tragedy. "The residents of Grenfell Tower have been through some of the most harrowing and traumatic experiences imaginable and it is our duty to support them," he said. "Our priority is to get everyone who has lost their home permanently rehoused locally as soon as possible, so that they can begin to rebuild their lives."

In the wake of the disaster, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called on the government to requisition unoccupied luxury property.

“Kensington is a tale of two cities. The south part of Kensington is incredibly wealthy, it’s the wealthiest part of the whole country. The ward where this fire took place is, I think, the poorest ward in the whole country and properties must be found — requisitioned if necessary — to make sure those residents do get rehoused locally," said Corbyn.

The housing announcement follows earlier reports that the U.K. government will establish a public advocate to help disaster victims.

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