Eviction is a ‘deliberate feature’ of the housing system, says new book

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0100

A new book by Dr Jessica Field from �� has revealed that eviction is a ‘deliberate and enduring feature’ of Britain’s housing system, rather than simply being a consequence of a housing crisis.

Eviction: A Social History of Rent, published by Verso, is a detailed look at the complex history of rented housing in the UK, tracing policy evolutions from the late 19^th century to the contemporary private rental sector. It examines how rental policies and housing structures have historically positioned low-income tenants as vulnerable to displacement, showing that the threat of eviction has long been woven into the design of the housing market rather than arising from occasional crises.

The book offers a compelling and often unsettling look at the persistent reality of housing insecurity for low-income tenants in Britain over the past century and a half. It argues that eviction is not an aberration, but is fundamentally ingrained in the nation's housing system, often masked as progress.

Dr Field uses her own family’s story as the heart of the book, focusing on a housing estate in south Leeds nicknamed “Cardboard City.” This neighbourhood, which was built in the 1950s by the National Coal Board (NCB) to house miners and their families, became home to generations of working-class tenants. It was a close-knit community where neighbours supported one another, socialised as close friends, and raised families.

Eviction charts the path of these homes from state-owned worker housing to privately rented properties, detailing cycles of neglect and financialisation. Despite promises of security, NCB properties - like many council houses - suffered from inadequate maintenance, and were eventually sold off to private speculators for a pittance.

In 2017, the property company that now owned the estate announced plans to demolish the homes and build ‘executive’ houses in their place. This would mean evicting seventy households, many of whom had lived there for at least a decade, including Dr Field’s parents. The residents formed a campaign group, Save Our Homes LS26, and fought hard to save their homes - but despite their efforts, most were eventually forced to leave. Dr Field’s parents were evicted in 2022.

In the book, Dr Field shares how the fight to stop the eviction affected her mother’s health and well-being, and how the loss of their home shattered a once-thriving community. She situates those personal experiences in the long history of renting in Britain, showing how renters have always had fewer rights than homeowners and how evictions have often been treated as inevitable or even for the good of the tenants.

Through a mix of personal storytelling and historical research, Eviction challenges the idea that private renting has ever been a secure or fair option for families – even during the apparent post-war golden era of council house expansion. It also highlights the importance of community, neighbourly support and tenant-led activism and celebrates the achievements of many women-led activist movements over the decades.

"My parents fought for five years to save their community from a mass eviction. They lost, but their story reveals a brutal truth about Britain's housing system. For working-class families, the housing crisis isn't new – it's the enduring status quo”, says Dr Field.

Eviction: A Social History of Rent is available now from .

Housing for people living with dementia must reflect their specific needs – finds new Greater �� report

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 07:25:00 +0000

The lives of people living with dementia in Greater ��, alongside carers and loved ones, can be improved through better access to housing that reflects the changing needs and diversity of the population, according to the finding of .

The report launch comes days after the government launched the White Paper detailing a wide ranging 10-year vision for Social Care with a recurring phrase, ‘Make every decision about care a decision about housing’.

Housing and Living Well with Dementia: from Policy to Practice in Greater ��, has been produced by the Greater �� Health and Social Care Partnership and �� (Healthy Ageing Research Group and the �� Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing).

The report examines the existing health, social care, and housing options available to people living with dementia - focusing on how to provide housing within community settings.

Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. There are many different causes of dementia, and many different types.

In 2019, at least 21,851 Greater �� residents were living with dementia, 1 in 25 of this number diagnosed with younger onset dementia (people under the age of 65).

The report calls for all services that support people living with dementia, carers and loved ones to work more closely together. It makes clear recommendations on how the diverse needs of housing for people living with dementia must be taken into greater consideration, and how people’s specific circumstances - such as ethnicity, age, and sexual identity - must be at the centre of future planning and developments.

The report has been shaped by the views of people with lived experience of dementia, carers and loved ones, as well as professionals from across Greater ��’s housing, health and care sector that provide support to those living the condition.

Warren Heppolette, Greater �� Health and Social Care Partnership’s executive lead for strategy & system development said:

“Dementia can affect anyone - and as such, people have very different needs if they are to continue to live as fulfilling a life as possible.

“More needs to be done to treat people as individuals, so we can make sure they can get the type of support that is right for them – including housing. This report shows how that can be achieved through making information more accessible and being more aware of the changing demographic of Greater ��.

“The Greater �� Health and Social Care Partnership is in a unique position to lead the way in addressing the challenges identified by this report, as we seek to build on the city-region’s position as the first in the UK to join the WHO Global Network of Age Friendly Cities.”

Alistair Burns, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, University of Manchester, said: “�� is a global leader in the fields of ageing research, working to improve policy and practice through providing evidence that promotes health, wellbeing and equity in later life.

“Our work to ensure the lives of those living with dementia, their loved ones and carers is critical, especially as we look towards integration of our care systems and the re-imagining of social care with the role of the home as a central tenet for enabling someone to live well and with dignity in their home for as long as they wish.”

The recommendations of the report will be used to develop a three-year plan (2022-2025) implemented through the forthcoming Greater ��’s Integrated Care System.

Newsroom University of Manchester

Eviction is a ‘deliberate feature’ of the housing system, says new book

Housing for people living with dementia must reflect their specific needs – finds new Greater ������� report

Housing for people living with dementia must reflect their specific needs – finds new Greater �� report