Abstract
Local government in Britain has played a very distinctive role in the provision of public or social housing. Such housing has been variously targeted on individuals and groups of the population regarded as being in need of decent, modern housing. Particularly since 1919 and the Addison Act, this local authority housing role has continued to multiply with new permissive powers being entrusted at regular and highly frequent intervals. Through to the 1980s there was general consensus that local authorities were the proper and most appropriate bodies to carry out this mammoth national task of reconstituting the housing scene by providing greater choice to poorer households. In the 1980s this consensus has broken, though it was being seriously challenged in the later 1970s because of escalating public investment costs. A great deal was achieved in terms of new building, slum clearance, housing renovation, the provision of suburban dwellings and the considerable improvement in the quality of the housing stock occupied by lower income households.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes and references
D. Donnison and C. Ungerson, Housing Policy (Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1982) p. 63.
J. B. Cullingworth, Essays on Housing Policy: The British Scene (London, Allen & Unwin, 1979) p. 8.
Audit Commission, Managing the Crisis in Council Housing (London, HMSO, 1986).
Department of the Environment, D. MacLellan et al, The Nature and Effectiveness of Housing Management in England (London, HMSO, 1989).
D. Coleman, ‘The New Housing Policy — A Critique’, Housing Studies, vol. 4, no. 1 (1989) pp. 44–57.
Department of the Environment, Tenants’ Choice, the Government’s Proposals for Legislation, a consultation paper (London, DoE, 1987) para. 3.
Association of District Councils, ADC News, 15 November 1988 (London, ADC).
Association of District Councils, The Challenge of Tenants’ Choice (London, ADC, 1988).
H. J. Davies, ‘Local Government Under Seige’, Public Administration, vol. 66, no. 1 (1988) pp. 91–101.
Department of the Environment, Housing Action Trusts, a consultation paper (London, DoE, 1987).
J. Salt, ‘Labour Migration and Housing in the U.K.: An Overview’, in C. Hamnett and J. Alden (eds), Labour Markets and Housing (London, Hutchinson, 1989).
Department of the Environment/Welsh Office, New Financial Regime for Local Authority Housing in England and Wales, a consultation paper (London and Cardiff, DoE/WO, 1988).
Association of Metropolitan Authorities, A New Financial Regime for Local Authority Housing in England and Wales. The AMA Response (London, AMA, 1988).
P. McGurk, The Future of Social Housing in the United Kingdom, mimeo (London, Institute of Housing, 1987).
Editor information
Copyright information
© 1989 Kenneth M. Spencer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Spencer, K.M. (1989). Local Government and the Housing Reforms. In: Stewart, J., Stoker, G. (eds) The Future of Local Government. Government Beyond the Centre. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20179-2_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20179-2_5
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-49486-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-20179-2
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)