Great documentary on BBC2 last night about the history of council housing in the UK.

The programme documented the change in attitude towards council housing, from being seen as an amazing privilege from the 20s to 60s to a source of stigma by the late 70s.

Presenter Michael Collins argued that the main turning point was the 1977 Housing Act, which gave local authorities a duty to use council housing for those considered homeless where previously they had operated strict entrance criteria for council housing. One interviewee told how in the 60s the local authority had required strict job references before allowing him into a council house.

Read the complete post at http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/mental-health/2011/05/the-rise-and-fall-of-council-h.html