Account for the Emergence of Public Housing in Britain and the Form that it Took - Assignment Example

Account for the emergence of public housing in Britain and the form that it took Introduction For housing in Britain was a policy issue and had been one of the issues driving the political agenda (Somerville & Sprigings 2005). Subsequent governments in the eighties and nineties made this core in their election package because trends in the housing sector acted as an indicator to the success or failure of government. Although this may not be the case today because housing problems are now being viewed as a lifestyle problem rather than structural problems in the housing market. The government has had to keep a close eye on the housing sector because of its contribution to the overall economy hence the development of the housing policy to fit into the demands of today. The housing policy ensures that the issues of housing are no longer being viewed as the provision of shelter alone but as complex issues with all-round solutions. The historical context and circumstances for the development of public housing An understanding of housing policies cannot be solely be based on the local structures alone but on the national structures because policies are made at national level. The housing policies in Britain has experienced historical dramatic shift over the years from the mid 19th century period, the first world to the present time (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). Urban housing problems has attracted attention and become an electoral as well as a political issue. Housing policies were developed based on the strong political ideologies that were prevalent at each specific time in history. These ideologies ultimately determined the housing policies because these ideologies drive the policy agendas. These ideologies have influenced the right to buy and have reduced the role of the estate in public policy in providing social housing. Ideology and housing policy The ideology of scientism claims that science can address any issue in the economic and social world by applying objective and rational checks (George & Wilding1990). This shows that some decisions may be viewed and addressed as political and yet they can be assessed rationally through application of scientific measures. Ideology acts as a filter through which evidence is selected before its impact on policy which makes evidence that supports ideology to be supported and those against to be downplayed (George & Wilding1990). The development of the housing policy in the 19th century in Britain was characterised by two different views: Housing as commodity which is a consumption good available in the market. Housing as a social service to be provided for by the state. This two contrasting views represent the ideological conflict that are deep seated in the development of housing policy. Conservatives and labour governments have committed themselves to either of the two views (George & Wilding1990). The conservative governments have been inclined to view housing as a commodity while labour governments have viewed housing as a social service (George & Wilding1990). Convergent government views by both the labour and conservative parties have generated a new ideology of individualism which is based on individuals taking responsibility for their actions and this impeded the state in interfering in the affairs of individuals (George & Wilding1990). In housing policy, individualism leads to privatisation and a surge in the right to buy which is a replacement to council housing (George & Wilding1990). 19th century period to the First World War period In this period urban housing problems were addressed as a public health matter rather than a housing policy measure. Local authorities intervened in housing matters but lacked the political backing to do anything much. The late 19th century period in Britain saw the rise of philanthropic housing which was part of the cooperative movement (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). Britain promoted housing and living arrangements where individuals were able to retain their homes as well as privacy. These early cooperatives provided a form of home ownership in 1874 well into the early 20th century (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). These cooperative societies provided finance to the working class which they could borrow to finance ownership of their own homes. The 19th century marked a time when the working class housing was appalling due to unsanitary conditions caused by overcrowding (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). This situation existed primarily because of population surge caused by the 19th century migration. Construction of new houses to accommodate these new numbers of people created new suburbs which were poorly drained and had shared toilets and bathrooms (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). This situation was made worse by due to lack of building regulations which made builders to build as they pleased. In the mid 19th century some of these structures were banned as councils took action by demolishing and replacing these structures at once. The unsanitary conditions also precipitated the passing of a Public Health Act in 1848 which made local Boards of Health compulsory in towns that had high death rates caused by the insanitary living conditions (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). These boards ensured that all housing units had toilets and proper functioning drains and could prosecute people who sold food or drink that was deemed unfit for human consumption. By the 1860s and 70s large towns had dug underground sewers and established water supply into homes which lead to cleaner and healthier towns (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). This saw a rise in the living standards of and two bedroom houses became a common feature. The 19th century period also saw the rise of moral enlightenment and righteousness move toward philanthropic housing and an emergence of charitable trusts (Lund 2002). Strict management of tenant behaviour and the emphasis on high moral standards led to exclusion of tenants both on social and economic issues (Lund 2002). Economic exclusion was due to the restriction of profits on the ownership and development of property. Linking worker productivity to the living standards lead to local authorities being given statutory power to enact by-laws that related to drainage and water supply. The Public Health Act that was enacted did not achieve much as to the expectations of the people because of the costs associated with implementing improvements (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). Even with philanthropic housing which provided affordable rental accommodation private landlords were the majority and they could not just make that level of investment compared to the rents that they collected. This led to the application of free market principles that were a hindrance to the improvement in standards of housing and a new law had to be enacted to counter this effect. The Working Class Act of 1890 according to ( Cole & Furbey 1994) gave power to local authorities to build council houses for rental purposes which was amended to the House and Town Planning Act of 1919 ( Cole & Furbey 1994) which changed the role of the local authorities to a statutory one mandated to provide sufficient housing in areas within their mandate . This change allowed for central government funding to local authorities to enable them provide these services (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). At the turn of the 20th century, legislation had already necesitated a significant change to housing. Sanitation related epidemics that led to the link between the quality of housing and human health were negligible. After the second world war health was not the only factor driving the move for transformation in the housing sector (Somerville & Sprigings 2005). The housing policy in Britain dates back from the 19th century up to the 20th century with it being linked to housing and environmental health (Somerville & Sprigings 2005). This was later expanded to include financing issues and trying to make housing affordable. Today housing research links quality of life, crime and ethnicity have been a connection to the housing policy. Housing research today is based on management issues that are attributed to the growth of individual housing requirements. The domination of philanthropic individuals and the local and central government in the 19th and later on campaign and professional groups in the 20th century have had remarkable impact on the housing landscape (Somerville & Sprigings 2005). Researchers such as Edwin Chadwick initiated a process of improvement in the housing in Britain’s cities (Somerville & Sprigings 2005). Philanthropic housing experiments had exposed important details on the housing conditions by providing clear demonstration of what the public sector can achieve. Royal commission on housing mandated to look at housing on a national scale which was established to control demolitions and rebuilding of slum properties by local authorities (Cole & Furbey 1994). The 1890 Housing Act placed the responsibility of housing the people that are displaced (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). Pressures from groups combined to maintain the interest in housing to stimulate the quality of the living conditions for the working class. The Addison Act of 1919 provided for legislation that could be relied upon to provide adequate housing for the working class in Britain (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). This legislation together with the Wheatley Act of 1923 provided the legal foundations and base for the construction of council houses in Britain (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). The war years necessitated the intervention of government in state housing. This focussed on provision of technical support to enable councils construct houses and monitor the impact of rent limitations caused by rent strikes (Somerville & Sprigings 2005). Provision of housing subsidies alleviated the problem of slum dwellers because of the increase in the number of houses built. This policy highlighted the great financial burden that is borne by the government and led to a change in the subsidy regime because it led to the shameful council estates which rapidly turned into slums and had to be demolished (Somerville & Sprigings 2005). The Second World War marked the commitment by all British political parties to eradicate all slum dwellings and reconstructing the war damaged houses. Greater state involvement in the housing issues became even more evident. More was dedicated to research so as to provide technical support for matters relating to design and space (Lund 2002). Policies were made purely on the needs of the local area under the guidance of the central government so as not to over indulge. The mid 20th century introduced redevelopment programs that were directed at replacing and demolishing of run down housing as well as construction of new housing in most of the cities in Britain (Lund 2002). This policy was not without controversy because it encouraged mass provision of houses. The Housing Act of 1969 created a policy that enabled the country to shift from the decades of demolitions to conservation and renovations (Balchin & Rhoden 2002). This transition was precipitated by other actions that caused the government to move into action and not the proverbial slums that had bedevilled the housing sectors for years on end. Development of the housing policy in Britain The inception of the housing policy in Britain leaned towards the political ideology existent at the time (George & Wilding1990). The housing policy reflected the free market ideas propagated at the time which advocates for no state interference in the market. The absence of legislation can be attributed to this. The end of the century though marked the beginning of legislation which was mainly because of health of the working class and the environmental impact. The post war period heralded the beginning of state welfare to rebuild houses that were demolished during the war and total eradication of slum dwellings (Somerville & Sprigings 2005). The housing policy from the nineteenth century to the mid twentieth century has evolved from being owner occupation to private renting. The housing policy has transformed from what it began as in the 19th century to what it is today: The 19th century Victorian housing policy The 1914-1939 housing policy that saw the introduction of housing subsidies in local authorities, rent controls and an expansion of owner occupation Post World War 2 housing policy that focussed on increasing the subsidies to local authority for housing 1952-79, period that saw an introduction of rent regulations. It is in this period that housing associations came up and the growth of home ownership over rentals Reforms in housing financing were introduced to enable more British citizens to own their own homes. Victorian housing policy This policy introduced in the 19th century was in response to the industrial revolution legacy (Lund 2006). The industrial revolution in itself brought about an increase in population in the urban areas. With these conditions, squalor became manifest in these towns to a point that these towns were unsanitary (Lund 2006). Landlords developed property to capitalise on this situation which led to overcrowding in the industrial cities of Britain. The development of housing that was not for profit became preeminent with a Labourer Friendly Society being formed (Alcock et al., 2003). This society built houses that were of high standard as compared to the low cost housing at the time. Poor households could not attract the financial backing that would enable them build decent housing for themselves. Charitable trusts came up to provide decent housing for the working class (Annetts et al., 2009). Highly paid workers set up building associations to help them to channel the savings of members into building houses for them (Annetts et al., 2009). Mid 19th century a push for decent housing emerged because of its association with worker productivity. These legislations committed the local authorities to monitor private common lodging houses. These legislations led to the emergence of residential suburbs and an increase in rents to finance the operations of the local authorities in improving housing conditions in the urban areas (Lund 2006). Public sector housing emerged to provide low income households with decent and affordable housing; municipal council houses served this purpose in most of Britain’s cities at this time (Annetts et al., 2009). The housing policy of 1914-1939 The introduction of council housing at the end of the 19th century did not solve all of Britain’s housing problems because privately rented houses were still a majority. The First World War was period that landlords charged high rental rates and housing shortages were being experienced by most people (Somerville & Sprigings 2005). The rate of house building had reduced and rent strikes were the order of the day. The government introduced legislation that controlled the rents which discouraged investment in rental property and this prompted the government to introduce housing as a social service. The housing policy at this time was geared mainly towards turning the working class into occupiers which was facilitated by the subsidies they were getting from the government. The housing policy in the post war period, 1945-1951 The Second World War period houses were destroyed and became inhabitable. This contributed to a shortage in housing. This demand could not be met by the construction industry because a reduced workforce and scarcity of raw materials (Somerville & Sprigings 2005). The government intervened by freezing the rents to make housing affordable which stifled new investments into this sector and so land lords preferred to sell their houses for owner occupation. Public sector housing dominated over the private housing because building was more of meeting the acute housing shortage and not profit (Balchin & Rhoden 1998). The 1952-1979 housing policy The political parties had convergent views on housing that enabled local authorities to match new house building while encouraging housing associations to supplement local authorities through taxes to support the growth of owner occupation (Mullins et al., 2006). Rent decontrols and regulations With the recent reduction in public investment funding to public housing the housing policy issue seems to have taken a back seat. In the 1970s, the labour and conservative governments agreed that there was the need to provide affordable and decent housing (Malpass 2005). The housing policy has shifted to be more of sustainability and regeneration and addressing the real housing problem having overcome the previous problems (Malpass 2005). Restructuring of homeless issues to and addressing them as lifestyle issues have become the new focus. In the 1960s the housing policy enjoyed a period of administrative coherence as well as political priority because the problems were twofold: problem of the quality of housing and shortages in housing. For years this was the main objective of the housing policy but the difference lied in the way to handle these issues (Malpass 2005). The Conservative government drafted legislation in 1970 to allow the conversion of controlled tenancies to regulated tenancies (George & Wilding1990). The state of most private dwellings had become unfit for human dwelling. The Housing Act of 1972 provided for rent increases which were to be agreed by the tenant and landlord and then registered with the local authority (George & Wilding1990). Failure to agree the rent officer would have to be involved to assess whether the increase was reasonable or not. With the return of the Labour government the rent policy was amended and a new Housing Rent and Subsidies Act of 1975 being put in place which introduced measures that concern fair rents (George & Wilding1990). This act stipulated that landlords could increase the rents in a period of two years spread in three stages and an upper limit on rent was introduced. The 1970s decade was a boisterous decade economically as well as politically which was mainly due to the high rates of inflation experienced in many countries due to the increase in oil prices caused by the Arab- Israeli war and the break-down of the Bretton Woods agreement that cushioned currencies against international exchange rates (Malpass & Murrie 1999). Britain was not immune to this situation because this situation exposed the weakness of the British currency and this forced the country to borrow from the International Monetary Fund. The pre conditions that come with such loans require a reduction in government expenditure. From this government had to take a back seed and allow for the market forces to set prices without any interference from the state and a shift from private renting to home ownership. The housing policy in the 1980s and 1990s manifested the inefficiencies of the housing system in Britain and so the Thatcher ideology reduced government support to the housing sector in its aim to reduce public expenditure (Malpass & Murrie 1999). The eighties experienced a shortage in the supply of housing, high rates of unemployment and high rates of inflation. This situation rolled over into the nineties and was marked by rent increases and a steady rise in homelessness especially for the low income earners. Conclusion The housing policy in Britain has evolved from the Victorian times to what is being recognised today. This transformation in policy has been able to meet the changing needs of the time as well as put in place measures that that have transformed the housing industry in Britain. The country today has many home owners and the lower rates of homelessness as compared to many countries. The housing policy was able to put in place measures that transformed the urban areas to cities that are to be envied by others. The housing policy ensured that the government is able to get revenue from this vast sector of the economy. References Alcock, P. et al., 2003. The student’s companion to social policy. New York: Wiley-Blackwell. Annetts, J. et al., 2009. Understanding social welfare movements. Bristol: Polity press. Balchin, P.N. & Rhoden, M. 1998. Housing the essential foundations. London: Routledge. Balchin, P.N.& Rhoden, M. 2002. Housing policy: an introduction. London: Routledge. Cole, I. & Furbey, R. 1994. The eclipse of council housing. London: Routledge. George, V.& Wilding, P. 1990. Ideology and Social Welfare. London: Routledge. Lund, B. 2002. Understanding state welfare: social justice or exclusion? London: Sage. Lund, B. 2006. Understanding housing policy. Bristol: Polity press. Malpass, P. & Murrie, A. 1999. Housing policy and practice. London: Macmillan. Malpass, P. 2005. Housing and the welfare state. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Mullins, D et al., 2006. Housing policy in the UK. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Somerville, P. & Sprigings, N. (2005). Housing and social policy: contemporary themes and critical perspectives. London: Routledge. Read More