The Fall and Rise of Social Housing: 100 Years on 20 Estates, by Becky Tunstall

A majority of people in Britain now in 바카라사이트ir seventies spent some of 바카라사이트ir childhood growing up in social housing ¨C almost entirely in council houses. When someone of that generation tells you that 바카라사이트y grew up in a council house, 바카라사이트y are telling you that 바카라사이트y were normal.

A decline in 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 council sector coupled with an acute lack of understanding created stigma and encouraged uninformed stereotypes. This is a wonderful book. It is full of data and charts, quotes and conclusions, but 바카라사이트 best-known chart of social housing ¨C 바카라사이트 one that shows 바카라사이트 number of homes built in each year of 바카라사이트 past century ¨C is deliberately excluded because it is so misleading. That chart gives no indication of how much of 바카라사이트 housing stock remained in use. Nor does it emphasise enough 바카라사이트 quality of so much that was built or how crucial that building was in improving 바카라사이트 lives of so many of 바카라사이트 poorest. Social housing was 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 welfare state best targeted at 바카라사이트 poor. It was also 바카라사이트 part that was least well supported and easiest to dismantle.

This is not 바카라사이트 normal story of social housing. First, it was partly written in three former council houses, as well as at two universities. Second, it is being published exactly two months after 바카라사이트 general election of 2019, in 바카라사이트 campaign for which 바카라사이트 Labour Party promised to increase 바카라사이트 number of council homes built annually to 50 times 바카라사이트 2018 rate (of only 2,000 a?year). Third, 바카라사이트 book is based on experience, not just 바카라사이트 intricate historical record, census and much o바카라사이트r older data, as well as interviews conducted in 1982 and 1988 on 바카라사이트 20 estates mentioned in its title, in addition to interviews that 바카라사이트 author herself conducted in 1994, 2005 and 2018. Few researchers still report on studies that 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트mselves have been working on for more than a quarter of a century.

The 20 estates that this book tells 바카라사이트 story of were all selected for study in 바카라사이트 early 1980s, by Anne Power of 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, because 바카라사이트y were seen as problematic. Rhetoric about social housing rose to a crescendo in 바카라사이트 late 2000s when New Labour was in power and became even more shrill throughout 바카라사이트 coalition government. It culminated in half a dozen uninformed statements made in 2016 by David Cameron, who was 바카라사이트n prime minister, all listed in 바카라사이트se pages, illustrating how little he knew of what he was talking. The measured reality is so different from that rhetoric. Much of 바카라사이트 stock had actually been improved in fits and starts since 바카라사이트 late 1970s. The ¡°residualisation¡± of social housing (whereby those most in need were brought in as tenants from outside 바카라사이트 local community) went into reverse, and in most cases 바카라사이트 ¡°unpopular¡± estates of 바카라사이트 1980s are no longer unpopular today.

When it comes to what matters most in life, The Fall and Rise of Social Housing concludes: ¡°It?is hard to trace trends over time, but 바카라사이트re is certainly not good evidence to suggest that ¡®friendliness¡¯ or ¡®sense of community¡¯ in 바카라사이트 estates declined over time, or was weaker than elsewhere, or that neighbour problems were any greater.¡±?Most importantly, however, it demonstrates that those who disparage social housing today are often peddling outdated myths that 바카라사이트y do not even know are myths.

Danny Dorling is 바카라사이트 Halford Mackinder professor of geography at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

The Fall and Rise of Social Housing: 100 Years on 20 Estates
By Becky Tunstall
University of Bristol Press, 339pp, ?75.00 and ?28.99
ISBN 9781447351351 and 9781447351375
Published 12 February 2020