Online Encyclopedia
Council house
The council house is a form of public housing found in the United Kingdom. Council houses were built and operated by the local Council for the benefit of the local population.
Council housing was generally typified by houses with generously sized rooms (compared to the private sector), particularly those built in the 1970s after the Parker Morris standards were introduced. However they also tended to be unimaginatively designed, and rigid council rules often forbade tenants "personalising" their houses. Council tenants also faced problems of mobility, finding it hard to move from one property to another as their families grew or decreased, or to seek work. Despite the building there was a constant demand for housing, and 'waiting lists' were maintained with preference being given to those in most housing need.
Origins
The pressure for decent housing arose from overcrowding in the large cities in the 19th century, and many social commentators (such as Octavia Hill) reported on the squalor, sickness and perceived immorality that arose. Some philanthropists had begun to provide housing in tenement blocks, while some factory owners built entire villages for their workers such as Saltaire (1853), Bournville (1879), Port Sunlight, and Silver End as late as 1925.
It was not until 1885, when a Royal Commission was held, that the state took an interest. This led to the Housing of the Working Classes Act 1890 . This Act encouraged local authorities to improve the housing in their areas. As consequence many local councils began building flats and houses in the early 20th century. The First World War indirectly provided a new impetus, when the poor physical health and condition of many urban recruits to the army was noted with shock and alarm. This led to a campaign known as Homes fit for heroes and in 1919 the Government first required councils to provide housing, helping them to do so through the provision of subsidies, under the Housing Act 1919 . Many houses were built in cottage estates as in Downham Estate as well as in blocks of flats.
While new council housing had been built, little had been done to resolve the problem of inner city slums. This was to change with the Housing Act 1930 , which required councils to prepare slum clearance plans, and some progress was made before World War II intervened. Following the War there was a major boom in council housing, since nearly one in three houses had been destroyed or damaged during its course.
Decline
Council housing declined in the Thatcher era, with rules introduced that prevented councils subsidising their housing from local taxes, and tenants being given the "right to buy" their council houses on very financially attractive terms. At one stage tenants could buy their home with a discount of up to 70% of the market price. The "right to buy" was popular with many former Labour voters.
Many councils have now transferred their housing stock to not-for-profit housing associations, who are now also the providers of most new public sector housing.