Clough Close, Middlesbrough

Available for over a year

Lynsey Hanley tells the story of 35 year old electrician Steve whose one bedroom flat has plummeted in value. Every home has a story to tell about the UK's housing crisis. When Steve first bought his one bedroom flat in Middlesbrough he saw it as a huge achievement. He had grown up in a council house and was delighted to be a home owner. 14 years on, the flat has declined in value by tens of thousands of pounds. Lynsey Hanley explores why. House historian Melanie Backe-Hansen looks at the history of the land that Clough Close was built on, and Professor Paul Cheshire examines the reasons why Steve's flat has proved such a poor investment. Producer: Laurence Grissell