Catalogue description LAMBETH AND SOUTHWARK HOUSING SOCIETY LTD. RECORDS

The papers in this collection document the activities of a local housing association whose objective has been to provide affordable housing to working class people chiefly in Kennington, Stockwell and Brixton since 1927.

The Lambeth and Southwark Housing Society Ltd. was formed in 1957 by way of a merger between 2 existing housing associations: Southwark Housing Association and Lambeth Housing Movement. The latter, which was founded in 1927 by a group of Lambeth Clergy and laymen with an interest in social work, took over 2 smaller housing associations in the 1930s and 1940s: the National Council of Women London Branch Housing Society Ltd.. And the Over Thirty Housing Association. All of the above organisations are represented in this deposit.

Lambeth Housing Movement sought to assist a particular group within the population of south London, who it was felt had not benefited from the early 20th century London County Council slum clearance programme because the conditions in which they lived were not considered to be sufficiently poor to warrant alleviating. This low-income group lived in overcrowded accommodation but could not afford the rents in the private sector.

Lambeth Housing Movement set about raising funds to purchase properties, which could be let at affordable rents. They did this by encouraging donations, investments in shares or investments in loan stock. In 1930 they acquired their first property in Liberty Street, Brixton, which offered 24 three bedroom flats. Over the course of the following 60 years the organisation, in its evolving form, managed to acquire approximately 20 properties with accommodation for several hundred local residents.

These records provide some insight into the working class housing situation in Lambeth for a large part of 20th century. While documenting the processes involved by a small housing association in making improvements they, at the same time, shed light on some of the problems encountered by working class individuals and families seeking better accommodation.

The papers of each of the organisations represented in this deposit have been catalogued as separate series in chronological order. Inevitably a number of files straddle the transition from Lambeth Housing Movement to the Lambeth and Southwark Housing Society Ltd.., especially correspondence relating to particular properties. These files have been placed within the Lambeth and Southwark Housing Society Ltd. series. There are a few files which deal with membership and appointments and commence at a very early date. These remain in the Lambeth Housing Movement's administrative records.

IV/111/1 Lambeth Housing Movement, 1927-1960s

IV/111/1-19 Administration

IV/111/20-29 Finance

IV/111/30-51 Properties

IV/111/2 National Council of Women London Branch Housing Society Ltd., 1934-1936; nd

IV/111/1-6 Administration

IV/111/7-8 Property

IV/111/3 Over Thirty Housing Association, 1937-1942; nd

IV/111/4 Lambeth and Southwark Housing Society Ltd.., 1933-1986

IV/111/1-5 Administration

IV/111/6-7 Finance

IV/111/8-29 Property

IV/111/30-32 Miscellaneous

IV/111/5 National Federation of Housing Societies, 1930-1961

IV/111/6 Other organisations, 1945-1950; nd

IV/111/7 Southwark Housing Association

Lambeth and Southwark Housing Society

In reasonable condition; metal work has been removed and the papers have been re-housed in acid free folders

Open except for IV/111/4/32 which is CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL 2090

Lambeth and Southwark Housing Society Ltd.

1995-39

Deposited in December 1995 by Janet Headley. Director

Series: deposited records, Class IV

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