The Discontinuous History of Housing Associations in England

Abstract

The claim is often made that modern housing associations in Britain have their roots in the 19th century, but the connections are generally taken for granted rather than demonstrated by evidence. A critique of the way that the history of housing has been written shows that it has generally been taken for granted that the perceived failings of the model dwellings companies and trusts in the 19th century led inevitably to the emergence of municipal housing. Evidence is presented to show that in fact the voluntary providers continued to be active, and that the dominance of council housing was not resolved until after 1918. This suggests that there is a strong case for more detailed research on the growth and development of modern housing associations. It is shown that there are significant discontinuities in the composition of the housing association movement, and that very few modern associations can demonstrate direct organisational continuity reaching back to the 19th century.

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