Catalogue description Records of Housing Divisions

Housing and Town Planning Department, Local Government Board, 1910 to 1919

Before 1910 housing conditions were the concern of the Sanitary Department under various Public Health Acts. Local authorities were empowered to purchase slum areas and prepare schemes for reconstruction. The Housing of the Working Classes Act 1890 enabled local authorities to undertake redevelopment themselves in cases of slum clearance or demolition for public improvement or utility schemes involving rehousing. Schemes were submitted to the board, except those relating to London, which were submitted to the Home Secretary. In 1905 the powers of the latter under the Housing Acts were transferred to the board by order in Council under an act of 1903.

The Housing Act 1909 introduced the first permissive town planning powers under the supervision of the board. In 1910 a comptroller of housing and town planning was appointed at the head of a department to deal with administrative aspects of the new act. It was envisaged that the services of the existing Engineering and Medical Inspectorates would be used in connection with housing enquiries, but an additional medical inspector and three housing inspectors were added to the board's staff, and three more of the latter were appointed in 1913.

Ministry of Health, Housing Department, 1919 to 1951

The Ministry of Health inherited the supervisory role of the Housing Department of the Local Government Board in respect of local authority housing schemes, housing finance and slum clearance.

The economic effects of the First World War exacerbated the financial problems associated with housing and rehousing and had forced the board to frame policies for co-ordinating and subsidising the efforts of local authorities, voluntary associations and private builders.

The Housing, Town Planning etc Act 1919 transformed the optional power of local authorities to provide houses into an obligation on them to provide for the whole need of the working class in their district as far as it was not likely to be met by other agencies, and it gave statutory authority to the principle of state subsidy for the provision of houses in order to meet the emergency. It was the duty of the department to see that steps were taken by every local authority to provide such houses as were needed in their district.

The department was also concerned with building standards, improvements to existing houses and with rent control. In July 1920 it absorbed the Directorate of Building Materials Supply of the Ministry of Munitions, which had been established in 1919 to secure supplies of materials for building schemes by contracting for them in advance on behalf of local authorities. In 1921 it was decided that central purchase would achieve no further price savings and this department was dissolved.

A Rent Restriction Act, designed to prevent rent increases, eviction of tenants, increases in mortgage rates and foreclosure of mortgages had been passed in 1915. The restrictions were retained in modified form in the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restriction) Act 1920 and later legislation, and the department was responsible for the administration of these acts.

The department was placed under a Director General of Housing (later Director of Housing and Slum Clearance) with responsibility for the execution of government housing policy. For the purposes of the special housing programme the country was divided into 11 regions, in each of which a Housing Commissioner represented the director general in relations with local housing authorities, housing associations and other agencies and co-ordinated housing schemes granted government support. In 1922 this organisation, which had been reflected in the organisation of the administrative staff at headquarters, was wound up as government support for housing projects was reduced to fixed subsidies.

The Housing Act 1930 gave impetus for slum clearance and required urban authorities to submit long term comprehensive housing plans to the minister. A slum clearance programme was initiated in 1933. From 1924 onwards efforts were also directed towards the improvement of rural housing, with particular reference to agricultural workers.

Following the Second World War the stock of housing was severely depleted but shortage of resources necessitated strict controls on the number of houses built and a concentrated attack on the problem could not be mounted until housing functions were transferred to the Ministry of Local Government and Planning and then the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in 1951. During the post-war years a regional staff was appointed in the civil defence regions with responsibility for local liaison.

In addition to its administrative staff the department also had a technical staff under a chief technical officer who was responsible for the operations of the Housing and Town Planning Inspectorate and the Architect's Department. The technical staff also came to serve the Planning, Local Government and Poor Law Divisions. The inspectors conducted local inquiries on housing and planning matters, but general liaison was maintained by the General Inspectorate, consulting the technical staff where necessary. The legal work of the Housing Department was carried out by a Housing Section of the Legal Branch.

Ministry of Housing and Local Government and Department of the Environment, Housing Divisions, 1951 to 1987

A Housing Division was taken over from the Ministry of Health by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in 1951, and was responsible for the oversight of local authority housebuilding and housing services, general housing and housebuilding policy, liaison with housing associations and building societies, slum clearance, compulsory purchase orders, and the control of rents. It was in close contact with other government departments, particularly the Ministry of Works, in connection with postwar housing programmes, the supply, specifications and testing of building materials and housing developments in new towns.

On the technical aspects of housing advice was received from the ministry's architectural staff particularly as regards the formulation and dissemination of new ideas and techniques. Secretariat support was given to the Central Housing Advisory Committee which advised the minister on specific questions relating to housing. In 1964 the division was divided into In 1964 the Housing Division was split into two divisions, Housing Divisions A and B. Division A had responsibilities for housing finance, management and production, housing programmes and Slum clearance and consisted of branches H2, H3, H4, H7, and H9.

Housing Divisions A and B passed to the Department of the Environment in 1970 (renamed directorates) and the structure continued in this form until 1987. However from 1973 there was also a Housing Division C, and between 1976 and 1980, a Housing Directorate D also existed.