David Oliver: Janice Cambridge - Housing Experiences

Last week's meeting of the Rotary Club saw President Scott Elliot introduce the evening's speaker Janice Cambridge who gave an interesting talk on social housing in the Borders for which she was previously responsible.  She started her career in Edinburgh after graduation at university and moved to Tweeddale in 1999.  She gave a potted history of housing from the 1800's when conditions were very poor with chronic overcrowding and sanitation problems until 1820 when an employer built the community of New Lanark for the millworkers employed by him which was copied by others.  The Housing Act of 1919 improved housing after the Great War for the "returning heroes" when councils built houses for tenants.  67% of new houses were built by councils but the next war of '39/'45 destroyed or damaged many in cities and the process had to start over again.  The new homes they built were tower blocks to maximise occupancy on the land available.  The social housing rents were controlled by law for tenants on low incomes and this was the case until the 1980's when the "right to buy" council homes was introduced and many were sold to sitting tenants at knock-down prices.  The result of this was councils stopped building houses and has resulted in the situation that we have today when there is a shortage of houses to let.  This has been further exacerbated by the recent "bedroom tax" which has caused political ructions.  A lively question and discussion session followed after which Past President George Rennie gave the vote of thanks to the speaker.