The dream and decline of post-war social housing in south London
Alex Whitwell
World War II brought unprecedented structural devastation to Britain. With swathes of the country’s housing destroyed, and parts of south London completely flattened, a bold new attitude was needed to rebuild the nation and its capital; one which would not only heal the wounds of the war but also redefine Britain. This essay will explore the future as imagined by the architects of the post-war era: when, for the first time, it became the government’s duty and prerogative to provide homes for its citizens. With this bold new outlook came a bold new style: modernism. The designs created from the 1940s to the late 1970s were characterized by their rejection of ornament and by their embrace of modern materials and construction methods. The architects of such buildings had dreams of a more equal and fair society, where everyone is able to live in high-quality accommodation regardless of their background. At a time when society was still largely class-based, the idea that the wealthy and the less well-off would live together - even in the same building - was revolutionary. However, as governments and attitudes changed, so too did the reality of the modernist megastructures built after the war. Hasty implementation, poor maintenance, and new policy saw many housing projects fall into disrepair in the 1960s and 70s. Analysis of this process can be divided into three main sections. Firstly, the historical context beginning before the war and continuing to the 1979 Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher. Secondly, the visions of the architects, politicians and town planners who wanted to build the modernist utopia. Finally, the criticisms of the way this was carried out and the policy which was introduced to reverse it. By investigating how social housing has been affected in the past we can learn how it should be carried out in the future.
Historical Overview
As early as 1919, Britain was already facing a housing crisis. Private renting dominated, with 80% of tenants nationwide living in accommodation owned by private landlords (Schifferes, 2020). At this point, there were very few examples of social housing in the UK, with only a few experiments with council housing in south London (under the domain of the powerful London County Council). Following the end of the war, in 1919, the David Lloyd George-led coalition government introduced the first nationwide housing scheme, named ‘Homes fit for Heroes’. This was to be a subsidized three-year programme, building 500,000 homes around the UK (Schifferes, 2020). A key feature of the scheme was that it would end after the pre-agreed number of homes had been built. While this was the beginning of state-provided housing in Britain, it differs from social housing provisions today due to its closed nature and pre-set quantity. By the election of 1923, the half a million promised homes had failed to materialize, and Lloyd George was ousted from office. The Conservatives came to power and scrapped the ‘Homes fit for Heroes’ scheme, instead choosing to provide subsidies for private housing. This was ineffective. Britain’s housing problem was growing and so far, no solution had been found.
DuringWorld War II, modernist architecture became a symbol for the brighter future possible after the war. The first examples of this new style were beginning to appear in the capital, predominantly in the
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