Homesick

‘Apps set the gold standard with his Grenfell coverage. With Homesick, he dismantles the sham of UK housing policy – razor-sharp, stylish, and morally unflinching.’ —Darren McGarvey, author of Poverty Safari

‘All of life is here – you will laugh, cry and learn from reading Peter Apps. Take this book, put it on the curriculum and turn it into government policy.’ —Vicky Spratt, author of Tenants

‘An erudite, careful, plausible, and heartfelt call for change, for building sensibly on the greenbelt, and for the far more efficient use of London’s existing stock including the house-in-every-street, small scale, flat-by-flat, nationalization (aka municipalization) of enough homes in London to make the capital liveable and social again, not just a place for servants and those whose parents gift them property.’ —Danny Dorling, author of Seven Children

‘Homesick relates the social, political and economic history of social housing in London since the 1980s. It is threaded through with narratives of real people and the changing picture of affordability and availability over the years. It is beautifully written, hugely knowledgeable and informative – the history of government finance for housing and its drivers was a revelation. Every historian, housing provider and politician must read this book, hang their heads in shame, and work for fundamental and radical change.’ —Emma Dent Coad, former MP for Kensington and author of One Kensington

‘An essential, epic love letter packed with hope for what housing was, should be and could be again. Apps is a skilled storyteller albeit every word is real and meticulously researched. This is the definitive account of how London’s relationship with house and home went wrong. A must-read’ —Lucy Easthope, author of When the Dust Settles

Peter Apps is an award-winning journalist and Deputy Editor at Inside Housing. His previous book, Show Me the Bodies, won the Orwell Prize for political writing and his coverage of the Grenfell public inquiry has received widespread acclaim. He lives in London.