Anderlecht Tenants Trapped in Heat During Renovation

In the Peterbos social housing complex in Anderlecht, Brussels — home to approximately 4,000 people — residents are enduring a nightmare scenario: a record-breaking heatwave has sent indoor temperatures soaring, but safety rules linked to a two-year renovation project prohibit them from fully opening their windows. According to RTBF, tenants in Tower 10a are trapped in sweltering apartments while construction crews continue work on the building’s exterior envelope.

A Record-Breaking Heatwave

The situation unfolds against the backdrop of one of the most intense heatwaves ever recorded in Belgium. The week of June 21–27, 2026, became the hottest week in Belgian meteorological history, with an average temperature of 27.4°C at the Uccle weather station — surpassing the previous record of 26.7°C set in August 2020. On June 26, temperatures peaked at 35.5°C, with Uccle recording 33.7°C, surpassing a 1976 record. Multiple tropical nights — where minimum temperatures remain above 15°C — were recorded, with one night reaching 24.1°C, providing almost no relief.

The heatwave, caused by an “Omega Block” heat dome, strained emergency services, caused electricity prices to spike above €1/kWh, and led to an estimated 1,300 excess deaths across Europe.

Renovation Work and Window Restrictions

The renovation of Tower 10a at Peterbos — the largest social housing complex in Brussels — has been underway for approximately two years as of July 2026. The project involves replacing window frames, windows, balconies, and guardrails with new terraces. Crucially, tenants have remained in their apartments throughout the work.

For safety reasons related to dismantled balconies and guardrails, residents are prohibited from opening their windows fully. Only a tilt-position opening is permitted. Some newer window frames are equipped with locks requiring a key that residents say is withheld. However, the restriction is inconsistently enforced: older frames lack locks, meaning some tenants can open windows fully while others cannot.

Souad Baghdad, a tenant of Tower 10a, expressed her frustration to RTBF: “I sent emails, I complained, I don’t know what more I can do. In the middle of a heatwave, with an elderly person.” Referring to the locks on her window frame, she added: “You need a key, but they won’t give it to us.”

An anonymous neighbor recounted the disruption: “They start at 7 in the morning with jackhammers. When they came to change the windows, they put up a partition. It was supposed to last fifteen days. We stayed like that for almost five months. We couldn’t even see daylight anymore.”

Comensia’s Response

Comensia, the social housing cooperative managing the building, acknowledged the hardship. Director General Thibault Leroy explained that relocating all tenants during the renovation would have cost an additional €3.6 million — a budget the cooperative stated it did not have. “The heat peaks had not necessarily been sufficiently anticipated,” Leroy admitted to RTBF.

Comensia has implemented several mitigation measures: distribution of anti-UV window filters, installation of a “cool room” near the tower, and a €40 monthly rent reduction per tenant. Leroy emphasized the long-term benefits of the project: “This renovation is truly for the future benefit of the residents: they will have a large terrace, triple glazing, and better insulation.”

José Garcia, Secretary General of the Tenants’ Union, criticized the decision to keep residents in place during such extensive work: “Doing renovations was necessary and essential, but you can’t do such renovations with tenants inside, and even less so during a heatwave.”

Systemic Questions

The Peterbos case highlights a broader tension in Brussels’ social housing sector. Aging housing stock requires urgent renovation, but budgets are often insufficient to cover temporary relocation costs. The €3.6 million figure cited by Comensia represents a significant portion of renovation budgets, raising questions about whether renovation planning adequately accounts for resident welfare — particularly as climate change makes extreme heat events more frequent and intense.

Brussels’ building stock, largely designed to retain heat during cold winters, is poorly suited to increasingly common summer heatwaves. The Peterbos situation serves as a case study in how climate change intersects with social inequality, with the most vulnerable residents bearing the brunt of inadequate adaptation measures.

What’s Next

The renovation of Tower 10a is expected to be completed in the first semester of 2027. In the meantime, residents continue to face the prospect of more hot days ahead with limited ability to cool their apartments. The case has renewed calls for better regulation of construction work during extreme weather events and for mandatory relocation provisions in large-scale social housing renovations.