Housing

This chapter aims to map the main trends in the development of the local authority housing function since the beginning of local government involvement in this area in the mid 1800s, until modern times. This sweeping review focuses in particular on the contribution which local authorities have made to addressing housing need and on the principal items of legislation, relevant to the local authority housing service, which were introduced in this period. In the second part of the chapter, a more in-depth examination of the recent development of the housing function is presented. This concentrates mainly on the changing focus of the service over the last two decades, which was highlighted a bove. On the basis of this discussion, the conclusions to the chapter will examine whether local authorities will rise to meet the challenges associated with these new strategic functions.