Labour Reforms - The Welfare State 1945-1951Reforms to address squalor

New Towns Act 1946

The success of this was:

• twelve new towns were planned in order to reduce overcrowding

The limitations of this were:

• the 1951 census revealed that there was approximately the same level of homelessness as in 1931
• high demand for housing still existed

Housing Act 1949

The success of this was:

• councils could buy houses in disrepair and make improvements

The limitation of this was:

• poor housing and homelessness were still serious problems at the end of the Labour administration in 1951