Readers on how the disappearance of quality social housing has left families and communities in crisis
Lynsey Hanley’s article on right to buy and its nefarious implications for the housing crisis makes good points (From Thatcher to Johnson: how right to buy has fuelled a 40-year housing crisis, 29 June). The policy has indeed been a disaster, with socially divisive effects, not to mention contributing to the Tory vote. There are two things that she did not mention that are worth considering. The first is the way that a large public housing sector reined in the private sector. Public housing was relatively cheap and private landlords had to compete or go out of business, which many did, though rent control also contributed.
Second, the reason why it was relatively cheap is misunderstood. Certainly, there were government subsidies, but the big advantage came from elsewhere. In many local authorities, council housing was built over several decades. Earlier builds were cheaper, but the rents on later builds were held down through what was, in effect, a subsidy from tenants of the earlier vintages, who were still getting their housing cheap. Unlike private rental housing, council housing was never sold, so rents did not have to reflect the general increase in land costs.
Kevin R Cox
Columbus, Ohio, US
