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What Was The Biggest Housing Shortage In Britain In The Twentieth Century

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Failure through society The twentieth Century saw Britain’s biggest housing shortage due to the effects of both the First and Second World War. The damage caused by bombing, left many families in desperate need of shelter. ‘It was estimated that 750,000 new homes were required in England and Wales in 1945,’ [1] this forced the new elected labour government to urgently prioritise their housing policy. The sheer number of new housing that was needed to meet the needs of society was too large and costly to continue producing them by traditional methods. Britain like many other European countries were also facing a shortage in basic amenities, building resources and ‘soldiers returning from war and rising working class expectations,’ [1] only intensified the stress on the government. Architects developed a new system and way of living. They aimed to create a healthy living environment for the masses. The post-modernist approach signified a turning point in society as for the first time more people were able to afford their own home, despite class. This was the era of building …show more content…

Architect Neave Brown designed a ‘low rise, high density’ [2] estate. ‘The key elements of the estate are two parallel pedestrian streets separated by a park, one a kilometre long, formed by two rows of terraces against the railway,’ [2] This new housing scheme boasted 520 new homes for over 1600 people. The sheer size of this complex ordered maintenance to keep it looking aesthetically attractive. With major government cuts this was not possible and the overall appearance deteriorated. Some would argue that this was a failure as society wasn’t ready for this type of living. Alexander Row initialled failed due to a lack of education given to people in society. Individuals didn't understand the concept of living in mass housing and therefore socially this form did not

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