Original scientific paper

PUBLIC SECTOR HOUSING IN BRITAIN

Alan Murie ; Heriot-Wat University, Edinburgh

Abstract

Public sector housing provision in Britain played a major role in
improving housing supply and conditions in Britain. At its best, it
was high standard traditional housing built in planned neighbourhoods
and was highly popu lar with tenants, lt presented an
influential model for planned housing improvement. At its peak,
almost 1 in 3 households in Britain lived in such housing. However,
by the 1990s, public sector housing is in decline with a tarnished
image and a lack of political support. Major privatisation
programmes are altering the sector fundamentally. This paper
outlines the major elements in the growth and decline of public
sector housing and the nature of the sector in the 1990s. It goes
on to suggest that the weakness of the public sector forms part of
a future for British housing which will be much more marked by
inequalities with continuing problems of segregation, homelessness
and insecurity.ln conclusion, it suggests that generalisations
about the nature and role of public sector housing must be made
with care and recognise that the strengths and weaknesses of
public sector housing vary between periods and places and that
evaluations of the role ofthe sector must refer to the political, social
and economic context and not assume some inherent features.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

33064

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/33064

Publication date:

1.1.1994.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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