Housing Policy

Abstract

For twenty five years after the Second World War governments in Europe developed housing policies against a background of, on the one hand, serious housing shortages and problems of unfitness, and on the other hand, a prolonged period of economic expansion and virtually full employment. In Britain there was agreement about the need to build as many houses as possible (using both the private and the local authority sector), and to demolish unfit houses as part of an ambitious urban renewal plan. Of course there were arguments about some aspects of policy, such as whether there was too little or too much building by local authorities, too little or too much slum clearance, and there was debate about the level and distribution of subsidies. But successive governments, both Labour and Conservative, accepted that new building by local authorities had a significant part to play in meeting housing needs. From the early 1950s onwards there was also a gathering consensus of support for the expansion of home ownership, underpinned by the generally favourable economic climate. In the case of private renting the continuing long-term decline led to a policy that was effectively one of managed decline, with little realistic expectation of significant amounts of new investment.