The Evil Decline of Britain’s Dystopian Estates

Summary

The video script delves into the history and transformation of social housing in Britain, particularly focusing on the notorious Alsbury Estate in London. It traces the origins of council estates as a means to elevate the working class from slums, through various architectural and social policy shifts, to the current state of decay and crime. The narrative highlights the impact of the 1977 Housing Act, which prioritized housing for the homeless, and the 'Right to Buy' policy of 1980, which eventually led to the privatization of council homes. The script also discusses the rise of high-rise flats, the subsequent decline in quality and maintenance, and the socio-economic consequences of these policies, including the creation of an underclass and the gentrification of areas previously inhabited by the working class. The Grenfell Tower tragedy serves as a poignant reminder of the neglected state of social housing and the widening inequality gap in Britain.

Takeaways

• 🏙️ The Albury estate in London was once considered a symbol of urban decay, reflecting the failure of social housing projects to provide a better living standard for the working class.
• 📈 Post-World War I, there was a gradual spread of social housing in Britain, with the aim of providing a decent environment for veterans and the working class, leading to the creation of estates like the Beacon Tree estate.
• 📉 The 1970s marked a significant shift in social housing, with high unemployment, inflation, and social unrest leading to a rise in crime and a decline in the quality and reputation of council estates.
• 👥 The 1977 Housing (Homeless Persons) Act prioritized housing for the homeless and vulnerable, which, while well-intentioned, led to a decline in the motivation and pride among the working-class residents of social housing.
• 🏢 The introduction of the right-to-buy policy in 1980 allowed council house tenants to purchase their homes at a reduced rate, which over time led to a decrease in social housing and an increase in private ownership by wealthy investors.
• 💰 The sale of council houses to private individuals and firms has resulted in a decline in home ownership among the middle class and an increase in wealth inequality.
• 📉 The quality of social housing deteriorated over time, with high-rise estates becoming notorious for crime, poor maintenance, and a lack of community pride.
• 👮‍♂️ Social housing became associated with crime, anti-social behavior, and a lack of opportunity, pushing working-class residents away and creating a stigma around council estates.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The sense of community and pride in council estates eroded as they became residences of last resort for those unable to afford private housing, leading to a decline in social cohesion.
• 🏗️ Council regeneration schemes and compulsory purchase orders have displaced residents from their homes, often without providing adequate compensation or alternative housing options.
• 🔥 The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 highlighted the urgent need for reform in social housing, bringing attention to the safety and quality concerns that have arisen from decades of neglect and underinvestment.

Q & A

What was the original purpose of social housing in Britain?

The original purpose of social housing in Britain was to lift the working class out of slums and provide them with better living conditions. It was seen as a way to prevent uprisings against the government and to improve the quality of life for the working class.

How did the design of social housing evolve over time?

The design of social housing evolved from traditional and aesthetically pleasing architecture to modernism and then to brutalism. Initially, architects like Owen Flemin believed in the importance of beauty in architecture. However, with the rise of modernism and brutalism, the designs became more focused on functionality and less on aesthetics, often resulting in concrete, block-like structures.

What was the impact of the 'Right to Buy' policy introduced in 1980?

The 'Right to Buy' policy allowed tenants of council houses to purchase their homes at a massively reduced rate. This led to an increase in home ownership, but over time, many of these homes were sold to wealthy investors who then rented them back to the working class, contributing to the decline of the property-owning middle class.

How did the 1977 Housing (Homeless Persons) Act change the dynamics of social housing?

The 1977 Housing (Homeless Persons) Act made housing a right for the most vulnerable in society, prioritizing the homeless. This led to social housing becoming associated with crime and social issues, as the incentive for the working class to maintain and care for their homes was diminished.

What were the consequences of high-rise flats being built as social housing?

High-rise flats, often poorly built, led to a decline in the quality of social housing. Many of these structures became associated with social issues and crime, and as a result, were less desirable. This, in turn, contributed to the stigmatization of social housing and the decline of the middle class.

How did the regeneration of social housing estates affect the residents?

The regeneration of social housing estates often resulted in the displacement of residents. Councils used compulsory purchase to acquire properties at below-market values, forcing residents to relocate often far from their communities and support networks. The regenerated areas were sometimes transformed into luxury apartments, which were unaffordable for the original residents.

What role did economic policies and social changes in the 1970s play in the decline of social housing?

Economic policies, such as cuts to social housing and benefits, along with social changes including rising crime, unemployment, and the introduction of the 1977 Housing Act, contributed to the decline of social housing. These factors led to a shift in the perception and quality of social housing, making it less desirable and more associated with social problems.

Why did social housing become less popular over time?

Social housing became less popular due to a combination of factors, including the rise of crime and social issues within these areas, the shift in policy that prioritized the homeless over the working class, and the decline in the quality and maintenance of the housing stock. Additionally, the 'Right to Buy' policy led to the sale of social housing to private investors, further reducing the availability of affordable housing for the working class.

How did the changes in social housing policies affect the British middle class?

The changes in social housing policies, particularly the 'Right to Buy' scheme, led to a reduction in the property-owning middle class. As council houses were sold off, often to wealthy investors, the middle class was displaced, and the funds generated were not always reinvested into creating new social housing, leading to a decline in affordable housing options for this demographic.

What are the long-term implications of the decline in social housing and the shrinking middle class in Britain?

The decline in social housing and the shrinking middle class have led to increased income inequality, a polarization between the rich and the poor, and a decrease in social mobility. It has also contributed to the decline of towns and cities, as the middle class, which often acts as a stabilizing force, has less influence and presence.

What was the role of architectural design in the perception and quality of life in social housing?

Architectural design played a significant role in the perception and quality of life in social housing. Initially, the focus was on creating aesthetically pleasing and functional living spaces. However, with the rise of modernism and brutalism, the designs became more utilitarian and less focused on the residents' quality of life. Poorly designed high-rise flats, in particular, contributed to the negative perception of social housing.

Outlines

00:00

🏙️ The Dark Truth Behind Britain's Social Housing

This paragraph discusses the notorious Alsbury Estate in London, symbolizing urban decay and the failure of social housing. It explores the historical context, from the 1800s industrialization and the 1834 English poor law, to the Housing of Working Class Act of 1888 which aimed to improve living conditions. The narrative highlights the transformation of social housing from a means to elevate the working class to a source of crime and despair. It also touches upon the architectural evolution and the social dynamics influenced by these housing policies.

05:00

📜 Rules and Ideals of Social Housing

The second paragraph delves into the rules and conservative ideals associated with social housing, such as the requirement to maintain cleanliness and the prohibition of certain behaviors. It contrasts the socialist attitude of providing for the poor with the conservative belief in the moral superiority of the aristocracy. The summary outlines the strict guidelines provided to residents, the impact of these rules on the community, and the eventual shift towards modernist architecture in the 1930s, which would later be criticized for its bleak and depressing nature.

10:02

🏢 The Rise and Fall of Modernist Architecture

This section critiques modernist architecture's impact on social housing, discussing the cost-effectiveness and the shift in design philosophy post-World War II. It highlights the move towards high-density flats, the government incentives for building upwards, and the eventual decline of these structures. The narrative also touches on the social issues that arose in the '70s, including unemployment, inflation, and the 1977 Housing Homeless Persons Act, which changed the dynamics of social housing and its desirability.

15:03

📉 The Downfall of Social Housing and the 'Right to Buy'

The fourth paragraph examines the consequences of the 'Right to Buy' policy introduced in 1980, which allowed tenants to purchase their council homes at discounted rates. While initially seen as an opportunity for social mobility, the summary explains how this policy led to a decrease in social housing stock and an increase in property ownership among the wealthy. It discusses the subsequent effects on the middle class, the rise of inequality, and the transformation of social housing into a stigmatized and neglected resource.

20:04

🏘️ The Impact of Social and Economic Changes on Council Estates

This part of the script focuses on the social and economic changes that have shaped the perception and reality of council estates. It discusses the decline in quality and rise of crime, the impact of school league tables on expelled students, and the creation of an underclass. The summary also addresses the phenomenon of 'sink estates' and the challenges faced by working-class individuals living near those who engage in disruptive behavior. It highlights the tension between the desire for a peaceful living environment and the reality of social housing degradation.

25:04

🔨 Compulsory Purchase and the Future of Social Housing

The final paragraph discusses the use of compulsory purchase to acquire properties for regeneration, often at less than market value. It tells the story of the Heygate Estate, where residents were offered a fraction of their homes' worth and forced to relocate. The summary describes the sale of the land to private developers and the ultimate failure to reinvest in social housing, leading to a decrease in affordable housing and an increase in inequality. It concludes with a reflection on the state of Britain's social fabric and a call for change and reinvestment in the working class.

Keywords

💡Urban Decay

Urban decay refers to the process where once-thriving urban areas deteriorate due to factors such as economic decline, depopulation, and neglect. In the video, it's mentioned in the context of the Albury Estate in London, which has become a symbol of urban decay, characterized by crime and dilapidation.

💡Social Housing

Social housing is a form of housing provision that is typically owned and managed by the government or by non-profit organizations with the aim of providing affordable housing for those in need. The video discusses the history and evolution of social housing in Britain, from its inception as a means to uplift the working class to the issues it faces today.

💡Right to Buy

The 'Right to Buy' was a policy introduced in the UK in the 1980s that allowed tenants of council houses to purchase the homes they were living in at a discounted rate. The video explains how this policy led to a decrease in social housing stock and contributed to the rise of private property ownership, which in turn affected the middle class and the housing market.

💡Compulsory Purchase

Compulsory purchase is a legal process that allows a local or national government to buy land or property for a public purpose, even against the will of the owner. The video describes how this process has been used to evict residents from their council homes to make way for redevelopment, often leading to disputes over compensation.

💡Council Estates

Council estates are large housing complexes built by local authorities to provide affordable housing for the working class. The video discusses the transformation of these estates from being desirable and well-maintained communities to areas associated with crime and social problems.

💡Slums

Slums are heavily populated urban areas characterized by squalor and poverty, often with substandard housing. In the video, slums are contrasted with the intended outcomes of social housing initiatives, highlighting the failure to provide adequate living conditions for the working class.

💡Housing Benefit

Housing benefit is a financial assistance provided by the government to those on low incomes or who are unemployed to help them afford their rent. The video touches on how a significant portion of residents in council estates are on housing benefit, indicating the extent of poverty and dependence on state support.

💡Regeneration

Regeneration refers to the process of renewing or revitalizing a community or a neighborhood, often involving the demolition of old buildings and the construction of new ones. The video discusses the regeneration of council estates, which has led to displacement of residents and the transformation of communities.

💡Economic Inequality

Economic inequality is the difference in income and wealth among individuals in a society. The video argues that the changes in social housing policies and the rise of private property ownership have contributed to increasing economic inequality in the UK, leading to a shrinking middle class and a more divided society.

💡Brutalist Architecture

Brutalist architecture is an architectural style known for its massive, monolithic, and block-like appearance, often using raw concrete. The video mentions brutalism in the context of the design of some council estates, which are criticized for their unattractive and oppressive appearance, contributing to the negative perception of these areas.

💡High-Rise Flats

High-rise flats are residential buildings that are taller than typical three-to-four story structures, often housing multiple families or individuals in individual apartments. The video discusses the trend of building high-rise flats as a solution to housing shortages, but also points out the problems associated with them, such as poor construction and social isolation.

Highlights

Alsburg estate in London, once considered a symbol of urban decay, is a notorious housing estate with a history of crime and dilapidation.

The shift from slums to council housing was initially aimed at uplifting the British working class, but over time, some estates became crime-ridden.

The 1834 English poor law and subsequent legislation aimed to distinguish between the 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor, influencing housing policies.

The Boundary Estate was the first council estate, built with the intention of providing better living conditions for the working class.

The architectural vision of Owen Flemin, who designed the Boundary Estate, emphasized the importance of beauty in architecture for social housing.

Social housing residents were given handbooks with rules and advice, reflecting a mix of socialist attitudes and conservative values.

The 1977 Housing (Homeless Persons) Act shifted social housing from a reward for the working class to a right for the most vulnerable, leading to a change in the social dynamic of these communities.

The 'Right to Buy' policy introduced in 1980 allowed council house tenants to purchase their homes at a reduced rate, leading to a decrease in social housing stock.

The sale of council houses often resulted in properties being bought by wealthy investment firms, who then rented them back to the working class.

High-rise flats became a trend post-war, with the government subsidizing extra floors, leading to an increase in high-density living.

The 1970s saw a rise in crime, unemployment, and social unrest, which had a significant impact on the perception and reality of social housing estates.

Compulsory purchase laws allowed councils to buy and regenerate social housing estates, often leading to the displacement of residents.

The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 highlighted the issues with the management and maintenance of social housing, leading to a national outcry.

The decline in social housing and the rise of private investment have contributed to a shrinking middle class and increased inequality in Britain.

The transformation of social housing from a means to elevate the working class to a commodity for short-term profit has had a profound impact on British society.

The speaker calls for a reevaluation of social housing policies and a renewed commitment to providing affordable and quality housing for all.

Transcripts

this video is brought to you by

Squarespace when you think of London you

you probably are picturing this or maybe

this but what you're probably not

picturing is this the Alsbury has long

been considered one of the most

notorious Estates in London a symbol of

Urban Decay what one started as a way of

lifting the British workingclass out of

slums has over time just descended into

these crime ridden dilapidated areas two

boys fallowing out behind me and they

went oh a ww car went yes they tried

jumping me but knocked them both out

Alsbury estate in southeast London say

they're living in fear after a second

murder in the area within 3 months sou

Council can legally insist Beverly

vacates her home this is what I worked

all my life for to end up with a poverty

like this today we're going to tell the

Dark Truth behind Britain's dystopian

estat live in environmental conditions

unmatched by anything that has existed

before tamme with his own identity but

still a lively part of London growing

from the river the

changing the failure to provide the kind

of facilities originally intended for

tsme has left many of those who moved

here hoping for a new life both deeply

disappointed and desperate to get out in

the 1800s Britain was going through

industrialization after centuries of

feudalism the workingclass had now had

these weird things called rights I was

just wondering if um possibly we um we'd

like a pay

rise the 1834 English poor law it made a

very clear distinction between the

deserving poor and the undeserving poor

fair enough you know if you're you have

no legs or arms okay you're allowed to

be poor if you were just you know

average Joey schoy and all your [ __ ] all

your sticks are working how dare you not

become rich the housing of workingclass

Act of

1888 1990 I think the government were

very perturbed about people possibly

Uprising against the government as they

were in Russia so what give them good

houses keep them quiet keep them happy

this act and a series of others were

passed where they had given councils the

right and the responsibility to flatten

slums get rid of these shitty slums and

in place build Council

[Music]

houses there was one place so hell ially

awful that would become the very first

Council estate it almost goes without

saying that these slums were overcrowded

and poorly maintained hot beds of crime

disease and

alcoholism the old nickel was among the

worst of these slums the old nickel

makes Luton look like Dubai I'm talking

you're surrounded by piss and poo this

place is releasing new diseases

like the rooms were just cramming in

people so that landlords could charge

more rent per square inch these

landlords weren't exactly incentivized

to repair things so you know if there's

a hole in the roof and you called the

landlord he would take one look at it

and say ah that sucks one in four babies

in the old nickel died before the age of

one the council took a look at it and

said [ __ ] it let's flatten the place

let's start again and they made the

boundary

[Music]

estate and if we we look at the boundary

estate today you might notice it looks

quite nice that's because the architect

who was called Owen Flemin he had this

crazy idea where he believed that beauty

and Nic looking architecture was

important this place was great but you

see there was a problem as the slum

dwellers stared on as their homes were

flattened Before Their Eyes awaiting the

keys to their new homes they found out

that the rent was double that of the

slums and so they packed their

presumably empty bags and headed over to

just another nearby slump and in moved

in the more affluent deserved working

class we were thinking in terms of a new

world uh the returning soldiers deserved

a decent environment and that was really

the main task and we thought that we

were we' been called by chance and by

our place in history to create that new

world post World War I there was a slow

but gradual spread of social housing in

1912 you had the old oak and wormholt

this was being built under the homes for

Heroes so basically War veterans were

promised to come back to land that

promise was a lie and because they

didn't want a revolution on their hands

they built this place and said all right

fine a bit later after this you'd have

the Beacon Tree estate and they actually

built 27,000 homes here this place was a

[ __ ] Utopia imagine you have just

come from living in a literal slum and

now you have a you have grass you have a

garden in the front and the back of your

house you had rooms big enough that you

could like do that with your arms

running water a toilet Windows a boiler

affordable rent however all of this was

not going to come without a few

rules every house got a handbook with

rules and advice Among the rules they

had to clean their Windows once a week

and when it came to laboratory systems

they were told there is no need to pull

a chain with a

jerk the idea of Parental conservatism

was an interesting one it was like a

socialist attitude combined with

conservatism they still believed that

the aristocrats were more morally

Superior and better than the poor but

they had a responsibility to raise the

poor up you know offer them a hand baz

put down the cigarettes and pick up a

croquet stick the people that moved into

to the Beacon Tree estate were given a

handbook of rules you couldn't just have

a disused caravan in your driveway with

like a broken washing machine out there

the idea of having standards wasn't a

terrible one it was fit but they they

often went a bit too far you know there

was definitely this kind of moral

superiority it led to things like they

wouldn't make a pub in this area they

had to be sober in order to live in this

property but regardless of a few less

beers with the boys this was a massive

upgrade from living in a slum I mean

come on but most of all Beck and tree

gave thousands and thousands and

thousands of people from the East End

and Beyond a home and I think for that

alone we should salute it however slowly

things will begin to change before we go

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Jimmy the giant anyway back to the

[Music]

video by the 1930s Britain's Pimp My

slum scheme was going pretty well but

then it got infected by a new dope

strain of architecture called modernism

all right we did this in the milon Kings

video I'm not going to do it again but

we can actually see that original

modernism wasn't that bad when we look

at St Andrew's Garden in Liverpool a

modern and skillfully executed housing

provision for are the W Jers of

Liverpool which instead of taking

influence from British architecture

looked to Europe with the Horseshoe

estate Brits in Berlin this building

okay it's not the most beautiful but it

had brick it had different colors

different materials slope roofs it

wasn't just gray concrete or like a

glass fish bowl and it was built well

like it stands here today in good

condition and it's still used and as I

keep saying if you were in a slum

beforehand you're not going to start

questioning o I'm not sure on the

architectural decisions of this place

you're going to say give me the [ __ ]

keys we had to take a quick break from

Building Council houses in 1939 to 1945

cuz Britain was busy saving the world

but following the war these soldiers

came back to a country where nearly half

a million of the homes had been

destroyed by bombs and so the boys had

to quickly hop on the tools and just

start throwing up some

buildings in 1946 we got church or

Gardens and you might take a look at

this and think Jesus Christ what the

hell happened

we went insane building it was like a

fortnite World Cup final and we weren't

just creating new houses we were now

creating new entire towns and all of

this was built off of these crazy

radical ideas of urban planning by

people like leaber and Adolf loose to

think about brutalism is to think about

concrete brutalism all right brutalism

so brutalism was like a reaction to

modernism whereby from what I understand

leaber as he got older looked back at

his original modern buildings and said I

I need to start making buildings that

make you feel something and so he

created brutalism which was just raw

rough concrete and yeah they made you

feel something depressed this is Dennis

lon's National Theater completed in 1976

Prince Charles thought it looked like a

nuclear power

station what Charles meant was that it

was an industrial looking building

something that was rather Bleak and

uncompromising something that didn't

look like a theater but that was the

point I don't know who designs them I

don't know who they designed them for or

if they think that we feel or think any

differently than they

do there must be reasons why these

architect uh build these Flats in this

design and this hard Barrack looking way

because I'm sure they couldn't possibly

like the um structure and the Outlook of

them themselves I don't think there was

an awful lot of thought put into to it

if they would have only consulted

ordinary people who have to live in

these places what what we would like

many of the modernists are a reaction of

the horrors of World War I and World War

II where they specifically wanted to

depart from European tradition and So

within this movement a mood of

negativity towards the past and optimism

towards the future group but all that

kind of artsy fartsy talk aside

ultimately we made them cuz they're

cheap as chips to produce

if all goes according to plan by the

middle of the 1980s this Village will

have become a part of the largest New

Town ever built in Britain I think it's

ridiculous this is a good farming ground

why don't they go somewhere else where

there isn't no farming ground not far

away the British people of the 50s and

60s were starting to get a little bit

pissed that they were building entire

towns in their garden and so there was a

push to come up with newer ways of

creating houses but not encroaching on

Green Space and so in Essex harow a

brand new building was made that would

change everything the lawn this building

marked the beginning of the high-rise

Gold Rush post war though the real Trend

was to replace slums and bond houses

with high density Flats by 1975

440,000 new high-rise apartment Flats

had been created and that's because the

government was subsidizing every single

extra floor to a building so the

incentive was build into the sky and so

this led us to some absolute Beauties

like Robin Hood Estates should be blown

up place they made a point 15 20 years

ago it was voted by Nationwide as the

worst design Block in England Church

Hill Gardens Chalk Hill estate Chalk

Hill has been a problem since it was

built in 1966 one of the biggest Estates

in London it's always suffered more than

its fair share of hooliganism vandalism

and muggings hayate estate look when we

look at them now they look awful they

completely run down look terrible but

bear in mind the people that moved into

this a week prior were living in a slum

having rats nibbling at their toes now

they had fridge freezers they had Parks

they were safe they weren't living in a

biohazard anymore this era postwar gave

the working class a massive step up out

of poverty in 1979 42% of British people

lived in Council houses these Estates

when they were first built were loved

people loved them there was a sense of

community there you know they would look

out for one another and there was a

pride in where they came from he'd never

move off here he always said no we've

got everything hot water eating what

more can a working man want said explor

proximity living is concern in general I

think it's an example to the country so

what the [ __ ]

[Music]

happened among the 5 a/ half thousand

people on the fer estate at kid Brook

are 20 children living in a Twilight

world in the underground car Parks youth

workers discovered them sleeping rough

most of them abandoned by their families

UK began as a small group of teenagers

writing graffiti they've now progressed

to Street robbery and even more violent

offenses yeah there's been stabbings

people being sent away for stabbings

down new M on the alsb estate in

southeast London say they're living in

fear after a second murder in the area

within 3 months friend is dead yeah and

this is what we're doing to support him

yeah look what they're doing look look

there's been a lot of knife crime I've

had three murders in the last couple of

weeks how many people R you originally

Council housing was not associated in

any way with crime and in fact I read

this really good study that I'll link

below that talks about the decline in

social housing and how they became more

criminal over time and it all seems to

point to a very pivotal time of change

which was the ' 70s the' 70s in Britain

was a mad one it was it was a time of

high unemployment it was mass inflation

social unrest there were power outages

happening and so this is the backdrop of

the 70s crime is is going up it's not

looking good and there is one law that

is often pointed to to as the start of

the downfall of social housing and that

was the 1977 housing homeless persons

act what this did was change social

housing from being like a carrot on the

stick for the motivated working class to

now being a right for the most

vulnerable people of society and the

homeless became the priority and this

idea of housing based on need was open

to all sorts of interpretation and abuse

now look this all sounds well and good

it sounds sounds good to look after the

homeless people of course but it did

lead to some

problems if we kind of figure about the

incentive structure that that is in play

here beforehand it was effectively a way

of motivating the working class to work

hard they would get a property they

would then have pride in that property

cuz they earned it they deserved it and

they would take care of it and look

after it but I think the more

ideological side of the labor MPS of

that time who finally were not the ones

living in Council Estates they saw this

incentive structure as discriminatory

why should only the good workingclass

get a nice house what if good doesn't

even exist bro people say it's a it's

the kids that break everything it's the

kids that make a mess but I tell you

it's not when I first moved here every

day for three weeks I cleaned out the

shoots I cleaned out everything not 5

minutes later some dirty person will

come along and drop pill everything

dirty STS everything you can think of on

the floor it's not the kids it's some of

the peoples they come from slams and

they're going to make this a slam so

just imagine this whole community of

similarly minded Working Class People

motivated they work in the same

factories they send the kids to the same

school they have a tight-knit community

but now you could just jump to the front

of the queue of the housing list if you

were homeless unemployed those people

could be the types of people that have

serious mental health conditions drug

addiction problems Etc but instead of

making specific programs to take care of

the homeless of society you know help

them train them to get into jobs Etc but

now they were just being put into these

communities and what's more is

prioritized over workingclass people and

this started to create a bitter feeling

in the general public we're still tme

became a Dumping Ground for poor or

difficult families today two out of

three are on housing benefit half the

adults are unemployed tsme did become a

Dumping Ground that's half its problem

they basically just threw the doors open

for the first five or six years um just

to get anyone onto TSM but as the years

went on people saw TSM more as a prison

and began to resent the areas and lost

interest in all facilities and stopped

trying I've got a quote here from 1977

of Sir Robin Wales who is the mayor of

newm in East London he says that if you

walk in and say I'm homeless you get a

greater priority than if you walk in and

say I've managed to do something for

myself but I'm still looking for a

council property in 197

57,200 people said they were homeless

and this peaked at

151,925 1991 and so just bear all of

this in mind and consider that in the'

70s as well there was a general rise in

crime in alcoholism druggies and all of

this was likely happening in this era as

a reaction to the economic instabilities

plus the cuts to social housing and

benefits that were already starting to

happen in the' 70s plus this rise in

lowquality high-rise Flats where where

tons of them had been poorly built and

there was disasters and some of them

were demolished in burken head these two

blocks have lasted just 18 years now

they're going to be demolished because

they're literally rotten and because of

the economic climate the council's had

to cut funding to maintain these areas

keep them looking nice and so for the

council house it wasn't looking very

good and then it would receive its final

killing blow in 1979 now that the

election is over may we get together and

strive to serve and strengthen the

country of which we're so proud to be a

part big big mama thatch came in in 1979

to you know fix all of England's

problems but it would be the Housing Act

of 1980 that would introduce the idea of

right to buy through a policy of

purchasing Council houses by their

tenants a policy which was bitterly

opposed by the labor party a policy from

which many many people have profited and

are very grateful for that it basically

gave people who lived in Council houses

the opportunity for the first time in

their lives where they could actually

buy the property off of the council and

what's more it was at a massively

reduced rate this sounded very good you

know some people look down on you you

know oh you live in a council house and

um that's not good but when you own your

own property do go up in the world a

little bit Working Class People now had

an opportunity to get on the housing

ladder only 55% of the population in the

1980s owned their own home but by 1987

now 64% did these Council houses were

selling to the private individuals like

hot cakes but let's jump forward a lot

of years to 2015 and 2016 where home

ownership has declined from its high in

2003 of

70.9% back down to

62.5% the lowest level since 1985 so you

know if this was intended to bring baz

and Stacy up from the working class into

the home owning middle class then where

did these houses

go baz and Stace saw that their house

prices had rised amazingly it was great

and so they obviously sold their house

to go live in the cotor and live out the

Jeremy Clarks and dream don't get me

wrong I completely understand it I would

do 100% the same thing but you have to

start wondering who bought these houses

well it turns out that it's mainly

massive wealthy investment firms who buy

the house off of this middle class and

then rent it back to the working class

if we want to know what

economies without property owned middle

classes look like it's really easy to

see that because we the world is full of

them you can go to Brazil you can go to

South Africa you can go to Russia you

can go to India and you can see what

economies look like when you do not have

a property owning middle class Charles

go who was the son of Miss fur's housing

Minister Ian go he had bought 40 of the

120 Council Flats in one social housing

project called rampton so really what

I'm trying to [ __ ] illustrate in a

smart way is these social houses that

were funded by the taxpayer so you know

taxes that we all paid to build houses

to help the working class which it did

for a short period of time but it ended

up if you fast forward to the end of the

movie they just landed in the hands of

the ultra wealthy and shrunk the home

owning middle class if you don't have a

middle class Society you have a a rich

and poor society and if you don't have a

middle- class Society you don't need

middle class housing what you need is

Rich housing and poor housing and

increasingly that is what we will see

and so for the social housing that did

remain in the hands of the council yeah

it definitely didn't it didn't age well

in this study it shows that the

buildings that were built with better

quality with more traditional

architecture they surprisingly turned

out to be the most popular and more

people bought them but if you were

unfortunately put into one of them

thrown up shitty highrises no one really

wanted to buy them and so this led to a

phenomena this General Trend that

started to happen to the social Fabric

Council houses that is known as resid

ization tower blocks soar but few

predicted the squalor of so-called

Sinker States it's graffiti covered

walls its dark Alleyways its stinking

staircases today are monuments to the

decline it suffered since then in the

same study it notes that not all Council

states were seen as equally good if the

council thought that you were maybe one

of the less deserving of the people

wanted to get a council house they would

often be put into the [ __ ] Estates

creating the these Estates full of what

we could call naughty nigels and so

along with this change to social credit

that now incentivized people to be

homeless not to work you would even get

more money for the more kids you had if

you weren't married you'd get more money

some people even point to the

introduction of school league tables in

1992 leading to a rise in kids being

expelled from school in order to make it

look like your school's performance was

better these kids who are probably you

know maybe they struggled in school Etc

they would often be now just living on

the they're Council estate kids you know

kicking over bins and graffiti and they

have nothing to do all day and it's

believed that this is actually what

created the underclass that we later now

call chavs or really we call roadmen the

gang in and around the local shops

intimidates many of the residents I

don't go around there it's it's it's not

safe to go around there the the kids

hang around outside the pub and they

aggravate other people that go around

there they deliberately cause up around

now just imagine you're like you know

you're a hardworking class bloke you're

happy to spend all day earning your

crust get home have a beer give your

mrss a kiss go to bed do it all again

you probably don't want to live next

door to Crazy Steves who's smoking

bifter out the window listening 50 Cent

at 300 p.m. on a Wednesday hey bro shut

your mouth sorry mate

sorry this process moved the more

workingclass people out of these Estates

and so that left all of the naughty kids

to be put into one classroom together

with very little assistance to try and

raise them out into jobs Etc and

surprisingly that created problems video

describes the life of a gang which

Associates itself with the

estate teenagers wrapping Promises of

violence towards rival groups in other

areas it's been sold as the opportunity

of a lifetime the chance for families

from humble beginnings to get themselves

a secure footing on the London property

ladder but actually the right to buy

your Council home may not be such a

great deal hard I actually worked two

jobs to earn the money to put the

deposit down I literally worked from

9:00 till 5:00 and then 6:00 until

midnight and I was really happy that I

was able to buy my own home but 5 years

ago Beverly received a letter from

Souther Council revealing that all she

had worked for her home was going to be

bulldozed I'm going to be moved out due

to my local Council regenerating the

estate and basically taking our homes

under compulsory purchase compulsory

purchase is a medieval law that was

designed to give the crown the right to

flatten your house if they needed to

build a railway or like an army barracks

so under compulsory purchase the council

could knock on your door say look mate

we need your house here's £20 and you

have to get the [ __ ] out I'm

exaggerating but they could literally

offer half the market value it seemed

because they had to give you a price

that they deemed was fair and it led to

like this mafioso extortion that is

completely legal and there are many

examples of this but we'll focus on one

in particular the hagate

estate residents who have moved off the

hagate estate in South London under a

huge regeneration scheme have claimed

they weren't offered enough money to buy

another home locally hey gate was a [ __ ]

hole I know that because I used to go

there to do parkour and genuinely I was

scared for my life but there were good

jumps so you know sometimes you just

have to risk it from the late ' 90s to

the early 2000s there was plans to

redevelop this place and although most

of it was now boarded up and completely

derelict there were still some people

who remained and for the council that

was inconvenient and so they had to

evict them but in order to evict them

they had to buy their property some of

the offers for the property in London

were £80,000 bearing in mind in the

2000s a property the similar size and

the similar area would have been worth

about £300,000 so if the count is

kicking you out of your house and giving

you £80,000 where do you go you can't

now move down the road you have to leave

London your community where you grew up

where back in the 80s you were promised

this was a fantastic investment my

friend by the place only to find years

later the place is worth nothing and now

we're going to flatten it make luxury

apartments that are going to be sold

from the lowest price of £550,000 oh

thank you very

much but it turned out in 2017 that 100%

of the the flats that were sold at the

time were sold to private investment

firms but look surely at the end of the

day this means more money in the

council's pocket that they can give to

people and help right southwalk Council

sold this land to a private development

firm from Australia called land leas for

a whopping total of 50 million after

having spent £44 million on emptying it

where it's predicted for land leas it

has a gross development value of 9 90

million there's actually other reports

out there that claim that South Walker

State sold the the land at a loss and it

all just seems a bit fishy to me you had

a right to buy but the money that that

was taken from what you bought with was

going to build other houses other

Council houses that's right yeah which

never happened it's sad to see it but

social housing really Fell From Grace

and there's no more Vivid a moment than

on the 14th of June 2017 where a fire

broke out on a high-rise flat called

greenfeld towers and in its Glory Days

in that period Britain experienced the

biggest economic boom it had ever seen

up until that point raising people out

of slums to working class and then to

middle class if only for a brief moment

and to me I can't help but see it that

the country just opted for short-term

profit we sold the family silver and

instead of reinvesting the money into

the working class to raise everyone's

standard of living we have what we have

now and I'm telling you Britain is is

getting depressing I don't think there's

anyone these days that can deny the

obvious evidence that there is a shrink

in middle class that towns are dying and

places just look kind of [ __ ] here now

once the rich get richer they buy more

assets from the middle class middle

class gets poorer which means that the

rate of inequality increasing increases

more because the middle class has less

assets and the Rich has more assets so

we know things will get worse and

ultimately at the end of the

day the the speed of which life is

getting worse now

people are not going to accept it it's

sad to see and I hope that we fix it I

want to know your stories around Council

housing and your thoughts so comment

below if you want a further discussion

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I'll catch you in the next one peace