First Recorded Almshouse

The first recorded almshouse was built in York, part funded by King Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great.

Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1495

An Act which emphasised the reliance on charity of those unfit for work, who were allowed to beg. All others (‘Vagabonds, idle and suspected persons’) were to be put in the stocks for 3 days before being returned to the Hundred they came from.

Poor Law Act 1535

Responsibility for counties, districts and parishes to administer (but not fund) relief for the poor. Relief to be collected from voluntary contributions and charities. Able-bodied poor to work, children from age 5-13 to be apprentices.

Poor Act 1552

Established a Collector of Alms in each Parish. A register of the licensed poor was to be kept. Begging prohibited on the basis that Parish would distribute sufficient relief.

First House of Correction Established

The first house of correction a forerunner of the workhouse was established in Bridewell, London, to provide work and shelter for the poor.

Poor Law Act 1597

“Overseers of the Poor” in each Parish were to arrange work and apprenticeships for the able-bodied poor and to administer relief for those unable to work.

Settlement Act 1662

Settlement Act – removal of people to their place of origin if they were likely to be in need of relief.

Gilberts Act 1782

Gilberts Act – Poor relief now to be organised on a county basis. Unions of parishes to set up workhouses for the benefit of the old, sick, disabled people and orphan children. The able-bodied had to work – their wages were subsidised by poor relief.

Metropolitan Houseless Poor Act 1864

The Act allowed workhouses to provide “casual wards” for vagrants in the London area.

First Council Housing built in Liverpool

St Martin’s Cottages, 124 tenement flats with a toilet for each were built in 1869.  Victoria Square Dwellings in Liverpool, flats built around central open space, were completed in 1885.

Chesterfield Municipal Almshouses built

The almshouses were built in 1875 from a trust provided by the wills of Thomas Large, George Taylor and Sarah Rose. There were 11 houses, administered by the Chesterfield municipal Trustees for “poor persons of good character”.  They were demolished in 1971 to allow a carpark to be available.  The residents were rehoused in accommodation on St Helen’s Close, Newbold Road.

Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890

Housing the Working Classes Act – local authorities can build houses, funded from rates.  In London, land can be purchased for this purpose.

Spread Eagle Yard, Beetwell Street, Chesterfield, 1896
Courtesy of Derbyshire County Council and www.picturethepast.org.uk

First Garden City

Development of the first garden city at Letchworth, Hertfordshire, planned and designed by architects Parker and Unwin.  Richard Parker was born in Chesterfield in 1867, son of a bank manager, and lived in New Square as a child. Raymond Unwin worked as an engineer at Staveley Works.  He married Richard Parker’s sister Ethel; Parker and Unwin formed an architectural partnership with the aim of improving housing conditions for the working classes.  They were part of the Garden City movement, and had a great influence on the building of social housing in the twentieth century.

Housing & Town Planning Act (Addison Act) 1919

Resulted from the Tudor Walters Committee report of 1917 which dealt with the provision of decent housing after the first world war.   The Addison Act provided subsidies for local authorities with the aim of building 500,000 houses within 3 years (Homes fit for Heroes).  It resulted in the first houses being built by Chesterfield Borough Council, on St Augustine’s Road in 1920.  These houses had a parlour, living room, scullery and three bedrooms.  They cost about £1,000 to build excluding the price paid for the land.

Housing (Financial Provisions) Act 1924

Increased subsidies by government to Local Authorities so they can provide accommodation for low-paid workers.

Houses being built on land formerly known as Brown’s Tip.  The photograph was taken near Summerfield Road.

Courtesy of Derbyshire County Council and www.picturethepast.org.uk

Housing Act 1930

Councils must complete slum clearance and rehouse residents.  Special subsidy for flats.

Housing (Emergency Homes) Act 1939

Allowed Local Authorities to repair homes damaged by war.

New Towns Act 1946

Provides for the building of New Towns.

Town & Country Planning Act 1947

Housing Act 1949

Councils to take account of all housing needs and not just those of the “working classes”.

Thirlmere Road, Newbold, Chesterfield.
Image courtesy of R Wilsher and www.picturethepast.org.uk

House Repairs & Rents Act 1954

Aimed to increase owner-occupation

Housing Act, Rent Act 1957

Councils encouraged to increase rent and enabled to sell stock.

Image courtesy of R Wilsher and www.picturethepast.org.uk

Local Government Finance Act 1973

Fixed the amount of rent councils could charge.  Triggered the Clay Cross rent rebellion – see oral history on the histories page.

Housing Act 1977

Provided the first laws on homelessness and duties of councils to provide assistance to homeless people.

Housing Act 1985

Created a right for a family member to succeed/take over a tenancy following the death of the main tenant.  The right applied to a husband or wife (later a civil partner) who had lived with the family member for 1 year before the death as long as that tenancy had not been passed on in this way before.

S82 Also created secure tenancies for council tenants which meant a tenancy could not be brought to an end by the Landlord except by obtaining a court order.

Housing Act 1996

Brought in a number of changes to social housing including:

Anti-social behaviour injunctions– this enabled social landlords to obtain an injunction against a tenant who engages in “housing-related anti-social conduct”

Introductory tenancies – this is a type of tenancy for new tenants. They have no security for the first year, so that if the council applies to the court for possession of the property in that time, the court must allow it.

Housing Act 2004

Placed duties on local authorities to inspect rented properties and if necessary take action for hazards.

Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014

Introduced an ‘Absolute’ ground for possession for anti-social behaviour, which gave the courts no option but to make a possession order in anti-social behaviour cases.