The Rowntree Legacy: Affordable and Sustainable Housing

Slum clearance, a major focus of Quaker attention during the nineteenth century, was a key driver in Joseph’s vision for New Earswick. He wanted working people to have improved and affordable housing with access to green spaces and community facilities.

This pioneering garden village design influenced directly the layout of the Tang Hall public housing estate in York built during the 1920s, making it one of the oldest council estates in the country. Although the modern housing debate has moved on from large scale provision of public housing the need for adequate sustainable housing and continual improvement to meet modern living standards remains a very live issue. The Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust continues to be driven by Joseph’s vision.

Image: Giles Cookson