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Housing Crisis after the Blitz
Previous page: Post World War II London
Housing was a serious problem as there simply was not enough to go round following the devastating Blitz and added pressure was brought by an influx of migrants from many Commonwealth countries. The lack of decent housing was a major problem and caused underlying friction and prejudice against the immigrants.
This period saw many incidents of racial tension which even culminated in riots on a number of occasions in the following decades. The most notable of which were the Brixton and Broadwater Farm riots in the 1980's. Further tensions also marked this period due to Irish Republican Army (IRA) cells that operated bombing campaigns in London.
The government had tried to address the housing situation by encouraging people to move away from London into one of the New Towns such as Milton Keynes that had been specially designed to take the overspill.
They still had to create more housing within London too, so the post war period saw tower blocks springing up for the first time, which completely altered the skyline of London. These blocks were unpopular though which has since led to many being demolished in favour of low-rise housing estates.
London was branded with its moniker 'The Smoke' during the post war period. This refers to the thick, polluted air that engulfed the city due to the burning of coal and fossil fuels. The pollution was so bad that 4,000 people died from its effects in 1952. As a result, smokeless zones were drawn up which largely solved this problem.
Next page: London in the Late 20th Century
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