Pete Apps

29 May 2025

I was born into a city where housing was affordable. But I've grown up into one where it was not. What has gone wrong in London over the last 35 years? And where is it going in the future? My new book, Homesick, tells that story. Out Sept 25 www.amazon.co.uk/Homesick-How...

Bit of a grim conclusion to the Substack this week. With 50,000 heat deaths across Europe this summer (and more than 1,300 in London) we really need to start taking the risk of hot homes more seriously: peteapps.substack.com/p/record-num...

youtube.comWhat Happens When "Generation Rent" Turns 70YouTube video by Double Down News

I look a touch manic in the still for this video, but if you can get past that it was great to be invited onto Double Down News to talk about how we got into the housing mess we're in and where we're going in the future: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owaq...

redbrickblog.co.ukHeat networks are failing consumers - Red BrickJournalist and author Peter Apps explains how weak standards for heat networks have left millions living with high bills in homes that are often far too cold or far too hot

Heat networks are a big, under the radar problem for housing and energy policy. Our budgets to fix them are far too low and consumers have no protection from the Iran War price shock which will land on rents and service charges next year redbrickblog.co.uk/2026/10/heat...

Pete Apps reposted

Brian Robson

@brianrobson.bsky.social

Recent reads with a housing theme... @peteapps.bsky.social latest is excellent. Real life housing histories - some that now seem improbable - demonstrate how London has changed. 'A future that is just a few shades brighter than it might otherwise have been is still one worth fighting for' 👌

peteapps.substack.comAre we putting our homes at risk through unsafe solar panels?Rooftop solar is a great technology, but we need to be mindful of the fire risk. PLUS - protests in Spain, a housing union, Colin Todd and Laura Johnson

Substack this week ranges from solar panel fire risk to General Franco's housing policy: peteapps.substack.com/p/are-we-put...

eventbrite.comA tale of two cities: the housing crisis in London and ManchesterAuthors Pete Apps and Isaac Rose discuss how London and Manchester became unaffordable to a generation and what we can do about it

In Manchester tomorrow evening for with Isaac Rose of Greater Manchester Tenants Union for a discussion about the housing crisis. A few (free) tickets left if anyone is about: www.eventbrite.com/e/a-tale-of-...

peteapps.substack.comGrenfell police investigation moves forward; supported housing reform; shared ownership buybacks and moreIt’s round-up week once more and this time we start with a major milestone in the police investigation into the Grenfell fire

Some thoughts on the Grenfell criminal process here. This week’s news is an important milestone in the process. But that’s all it is: the end of the process remains a very long way off: peteapps.substack.com/p/grenfell-p...

Breaking: the Met Police has submitted charging files to the Crown Prosecution Service resulting from its Grenfell fire investigation. The files cover 54 individuals and 20 companies and cover charges including fraud, misconduct in public office and manslaughter

When we last had an update in May, the Met was considering charges for 57 individuals and 20 companies. Which mean they have submitted files on all but three of them. No names or further details yet

The CPS has committed to making charging decisions before the 10th anniversary on June 14 next year. If they charge, trials (assuming not guilty pleas) would follow in 2028/29

ft.comHow much? The realities of rising home renovation costsA 44 per cent jump in overall prices since before the pandemic is painful. But it means shifts, not stops

In the FT this week, writing about why it costs so much to get your home done up and why Putin and Trump are at least partly to blame www.ft.com/content/4cf7...

Good to chat to Literary Listings London about Homesick. Nice write up here: literarylistingslondon.substack.com/p/10-questio...

peteapps.substack.comGeneration rent growing old: ‘This is a window into the future for enormous numbers of people’As private renters age into retirement, the country faces a new timebomb of pensioner poverty. Why is no one talking about it?

What's going to happen when a generation of private renters start to retire with no housing security? This week's Substack (an extract from Homesick) asks a question that housing policy is frighteningly unwilling to contemplate: peteapps.substack.com/p/generation...

uk.bookshop.orgHomesick: How Housing Broke London and How to Fix ItFrom the author of the Orwell Prize-winner SHOW ME THE BODIES: HOW WE LET GRENFELL HAPPEN, the gripping story of how housing defines a city's past, present and future A Waterstones Book of the Year 20...

Homesick - which follows the story of how London became so unaffordable over 40 years through the eyes of a cast of characters who lived it - is out in paperback today! You can get a copy here: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/home...

peteapps.substack.comA fire in PoplarA fire at a building awaiting cladding remediation claimed the life of a man at the weekend. What do we know about this blaze, and what do we still need to know? PLUS - thoughts on the new PAS 9980

More detail about the building in Poplar where a man died in a fire at the weekend: - Building was fitted with combustible Hemsec insulated panels, which were non-compliant at the time of build (oddly described as 'inflammable' by the manufacturer) peteapps.substack.com/p/a-fire-in-...

Fire appears to have jumped one floor, and ignited the balcony decking on the flat above - but no suggestion that this contributed to the death. Investigations in that regard are ongoing and will take a while

Overall - it will be a familiar story to anyone who lives in a similar building. Serious questions about the risk of how long it takes us to remediate; the control of interim safety measures and what is really being offered to residents with disabilities in these buildings

... which happened on Friday last week - just before the fire. Remediation is very complex, particularly as the development is boxed in by the DLR and a major road. - A burst pipe caused a major flood in the building just hours before the fire, and it looks like power

... to communal areas was turned off, which meant emergency lighting and alarms didn't function. - Also, accounts of a man carrying his disabled wife down the stairs raise questions over what had been done to offer a Residential PEEP (a legal requirement since April)

- There had been a long process of working out whether or not the building needed remediation. First graded B1 under EWS1 (combustible but no remediation), then B2 (remediation recommended). PAS 9980 gave it 'medium' risk but recommended further testiing

- Barratts decided to remediate the panels and combustible balcony decking in 2024. A planning application was approved in September 2025. A Gateway application went to the Building Safety Regulator in February this year. It took 31 weeks for the BSR to approve it...

eventbrite.co.ukA tale of two cities: the housing crisis in London and ManchesterAuthors Pete Apps and Isaac Rose discuss how London and Manchester became unaffordable to a generation and what we can do about it

16 Sept

Joining Isaac Rose of the great GM Tenants Union for a (free) event in Manchester on the evening of October 13, where we'll be chatting about how both cities became unaffordable places of the last few decades and what we can do about it: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-tale-of-...

bbc.co.ukPoplar fire: Residents 'did not hear alarms' in fatal tower blazeResidents say they were alerted by neighbours banging on their doors telling them to leave.

Very upsetting news over the weekend - a man has died following a fire at a building in Poplar. Investigations underway (and will take weeks), but this was a building awaiting cladding remediation work: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Government website says a Building Assessment Certificate was refused by the Building Safety Regulator in November last year. This is not hugely unusual (refusal rates are high), but does show the BSR was not totally satisfied with the safety case produced by the managing agent

But we do know that this was one of thousands of buildings around the UK where - for a huge range of reasons - known fire risks are allowed to remain unremediated year after year. Eventually there will be fires.

bbc.co.ukPoplar fire: Residents 'did not hear alarms' in fatal tower blazeResidents say they were alerted by neighbours banging on their doors telling them to leave.

Residents also report there had been some flooding in the building on Friday. We don't know whether or not this had any impact on the electrical systems

We also don't know whether the cladding issues with the facade had any impact on the fire, or the tragic circumstances of the man's death. They may prove not to be connected

bbc.co.ukPoplar fire: Residents 'did not hear alarms' in fatal tower blazeResidents say they were alerted by neighbours banging on their doors telling them to leave.

Barratt agreed to pay for the remediation under the developer remediation pledge. Planning approval for the remediation works was granted in September 2025.

I don't know what had delayed the work between then and now, but this isn't unusual (sadly). These jobs take a long time. The building had fire alarms fitted which (according to residents) didn't sound during the fire.

bbc.co.ukPoplar fire: Residents 'did not hear alarms' in fatal tower blazeResidents say they were alerted by neighbours banging on their doors telling them to leave.

Neutron Tower is a 22 storey building built in 2008 by Barratts - one of three towers in the same development. It had a wide range of materials in its cladding system, including insulated panels

The building was given a B2 grade after EWS1 assessments in around 2021 - which mean it needed remediating. I don't know the precise build up of its facade or the exact risks, but planning documents refer to 'insulated panels'

waterstones.comHomesick: Peter Apps and Holly Smith in conversation | Events at Waterstones Bookshops | WaterstonesEvents at Waterstones get you closer to the books and authors you admire most. Find information and tickets about Homesick: Peter Apps and Holly Smith in conversation today.

9 Sept

Paperback edition of Homesick: The End of London is out next week! I have an event at Waterstones on Gower St on October 6 with the excellent Holly Smith (who writes about tower blocks) if anyone wants to come: www.waterstones.com/events/homes...

peteapps.substack.comGrenfell housing director takes leadership role in Barnet; a PAS9980 dispute in Woolwich; boxing in Parliament and moreRound-up week on Pete’s Substack considers Laura Johnson’s move to a group director role with The Barnet Group as well as some other small plates from the world of social housing and building safety

9 Sept

In this week's Substack - Grenfell housing director gets a permanent leadership role in Barnet; the Conservative housing benefit cuts are not credible, and more peteapps.substack.com/p/grenfell-h...

peteapps.substack.comOur homes are worth a fight: the story of the south London estate threatened with evictionQuality Street was supposed to be the sort of initiative which changed private rented housing for the better. Now, its former residents face rental hikes and eviction

3 Sept

Residents on a south London estate face eviction and rent hikes, as a small property firm who purchased the freehold from a housing associations looks to get a return Dig into the story and a cautionary tale about who housing policy now serves emerges: peteapps.substack.com/p/our-homes-...

peteapps.substack.com'Grenfell is unfinished business for me' - Andy Roe sets out his views on construction industry reformWe speak to the chair of the Building Safety Regulator about the shape of a future construction regulator. PLUS - thoughts on wildfires and warning alerts

18 Aug

Interview with BSR chair Andy Roe on my Substack. He sets out his vision for moving to policing professionals rather than buildings - including managing agents and site supervisors: peteapps.substack.com/p/grenfell-i...

theguardian.comLobbying giant filmed offering reporter payment for flattering client coverage in national pressExclusive: Guardian investigation of CT Group uncovers practice that appears to seek hidden influence over public opinion

22 July

In November, a lobbying firm approached me and asked to pay me to write articles critical of the Building Safety Regulator for newspapers. Filmed undercover, their staff admitted secretly paying reporters for copy in British newspapers friendly to their clients: www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

youtu.beYou Will Rent FOREVER. Here’s Why | Aaron Bastani Meets Peter AppsYouTube video by Novara Media

19 July

Great to chat how we got into this housing mess - and what we might do about it with @AaronBastani and @novaramedia's Downstream. Currently premiering here, podcast to follow: youtu.be/_loukG73N6M?...

17 July

Progress on fixing buildings with dangerous cladding calcified under Starmer. The switch to Burnham is possibly the last chance at meaningful reset: peteapps.substack.com/p/burnhams-g...

theguardian.comUK housebuilders have far too much power. Now a £4.5bn lawsuit could change that for good | Peter AppsA legal case on behalf of some 700,000 people against the country’s biggest housebuilders could be a catalyst for much-needed industry reform, says Inside Housing’s Peter Apps

8 July

This model of building new homes is not serving us well. The dominance of the big builders needs to break – at least a bit – for any new model to truly flourish. Perhaps this case can be among the catalysts that bring that about www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

8 July

Overheating in blocks of flats is a problem, but it's worse if you're banned from opening the windows. Blocks undergoing cladding works need some bespoke guidance urgently: peteapps.substack.com/p/what-does-...

peteapps.substack.comNigel Farage’s housing policy is a racist misrepresentation of what social housing is and who gets itIn threatening to deport 'foreign nationals' who live in social housing, Farage paints a distorted picture of who lives in council housing and how it works

30 June

Nigel Farage’s housing policy is a racist misrepresentation of what social housing is and who gets it peteapps.substack.com/p/nigel-fara...

peteapps.substack.comHas social housing changed since Grenfell?Nine years ago, a different government promised reflection and transformative policies for social housing tenants. But did it come to anything?

12 June

Has social housing really changed since Grenfell? Reflective (hopefully) piece in today's Substack as we approach the ninth anniversary of the fire on Sunday: peteapps.substack.com/p/has-social...

12 June

Safe to say that Grenfell survivor Ed Daffarn is not overwhelmingly impressed with the current housing secretary:<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HKmpFgUWgAAjHYI?format=jpg&name=small" alt="Image"/>

insidehousing.co.ukInterview with Ed Daffarn on Grenfell Tower fireEd Daffarn lived in Grenfell Tower for 16 years, and advocated for residents. On the ninth anniversary of the fire, he talks to Peter Apps.

12 June

Full interview here: www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/ed-d...

theguardian.comA place where everyone has somewhere of their own, to thrive and feel safe – this will be my politics of home | Keir StarmerUnderfunding, systemic failure and awful Tory policies bequeathed us a public and private sector housing crisis. As a priority, we will now fix that, says UK prime minister Keir Starmer

1 June

Not much in this. Fixing legal gaps around the eviction of domestic abusers is good, but it can't be spun as a transformative housing policy and nothing else is remotely new. Also, the numbers he's boasting about come from programmes started by the prior govt www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Pete Apps reposted

Martin Rosenbaum

@mrosenbaum.bsky.social

26 May

This is an excellent exercise in genuinely constructive disagreement (from which I learnt more than reading polemics on the same topics)

Pete Apps@peteapps.bsky.social

Dining across the housing divide with Jamie Ratcliff - We debate housing supply, rent control, building safety and more: peteapps.substack.com/p/dining-acr...

peteapps.substack.comDining across the (housing) divide with Jamie RatcliffToo many people disagree on the internet these days. So Jamie and I did so in person instead.

peteapps.substack.comDining across the (housing) divide with Jamie RatcliffToo many people disagree on the internet these days. So Jamie and I did so in person instead.

26 May

Dining across the housing divide with Jamie Ratcliff - We debate housing supply, rent control, building safety and more: peteapps.substack.com/p/dining-acr...

peteapps.substack.comWhat's the latest with the police investigation into the Grenfell firePLUS - some thoughts on Burnham and the King's Speech

19 May

Latest Substack - - An update on where we are with prosecutions for the Grenfell Tower fire - Some loose thoughts on what Burnham might be like as PM from a housing/building safety perspective peteapps.substack.com/p/whats-the-...

bigissue.comHow estate agents are earning millions housing homeless families‘Guaranteed rents’ sees middle-man firms paid millions to help London local authorities find temporary homes for homeless families.

18 May

Estate agents offering private landlords 'guaranteed rent' deals rake in millions every month from London boroughs to house homeless families. A mini-investigation by me for the @bigissue.com looks to a put a name to some of the biggest recipients: www.bigissue.com/news/housing...