The story of social housing

Where it began

Social housing in this country dates back as far as the late 19th century, but the 1919 Housing and Planning Act saw the government embark on the first comprehensive plan to build social housing. Led by councils, this was the foundation of a large-scale programme of building that stretched through to the latter half of the 20th century.

Post-war

After the second world war, governments were faced with the persistent problem of private rented slums, the destruction of war, and the need to house returning soldiers. They set out an even bigger vision for social housing. Post-war governments of differing parties carried out programmes of social housebuilding that provided the stability of long-term tenancies at low rents to millions of ordinary people.

Pictured: The Braunstone Estate, Leicester, England (with 1930s built social housing) c.1960

1988

The Housing Act 1988 was an attempt to return to social housebuilding, led by housing associations rather than councils and backed up by private finance.

Since then, housing associations have delivered most of the few new social homes built in recent years. However, social housing providers of all kinds have lacked access to the resources and powers needed to come close to meeting housing demand.

As a result, social homes have been sold off faster than they have been replaced, and local authorities today have been left with just a fraction of the social homes they once had to offer.

2011

Affordable Rent was introduced and the legal definition of social housing was expanded. This begins the diversion of funding to other less affordable tenures.

The impact is felt

2017

Owing to the deregulation of consumer standards and a lack of investment in good quality social homes, some tenants faced health and safety risks in their homes. Many others felt stigmatised and ignored. This was painfully evident in the catastrophic fire at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, London in June 2017, in which 72 people, including 18 children, died.

2018 

In response to the fire, Shelter launched its Social Housing Commission. This aimed to give social housing tenants across the country, starting with the Grenfell community, a far louder say in the future of social housing. Chaired by Reverend Mike Long, of Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower, it brought together a panel of sixteen key figures to examine the role of social housing in ending the housing emergency. They included Grenfell Tower survivor, Edward Daffarn, Ed Miliband MP, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Lord Jim O’Neill and TV architect George Clarke.

The Commission was overwhelmed by the public response and support for social housing. More than 31,000 organisations and people took part, sharing evidence and their experiences, and welcoming commission members into their homes. Based on extensive research, the commission launched its ‘Vision for Social Housing’ in 2019, calling for investment in a new generation of social homes, tougher regulation and a stronger voice for tenants. 

2020

The coronavirus pandemic brought a societal focus on the value of home as it became vital to keeping safe from the virus. As part of this, the government introduced welcome emergency measures protecting social tenants from eviction and rent increases. However, the overcrowding in social housing, poor conditions and the number of people in temporary accommodation laid bare the desperate need for more quality social homes.

In December of this year, two-year-old Awaab Ishak died as a result of damp and mould in his home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The 2022 coroner’s report recommended action should be taken to prevent future deaths. Sheter supported the ‘Awaab’s Law’ campaign to ensure landlords were legally required to meet timescales for responding to serious hazards.