Pennies for public housing This poster from 1920 promotes the
Desborough Estate in Paddington. It shows a 'before and after'
image of the new housing that would replace the existing slums.
It encourages the public to buy the 6% Housing Bonds that will
help to make modern housing a reality. Why buy bonds to build
houses? Following the Housing Act of 1919, the London County
Council (LCC) introduced housing bonds. The public were
encouraged to buy the bonds to raise money for the government.
The government could then use the money to build new public
housing. To promote the scheme, the LCC launched a publicity
campaign. They wanted to show the benefits of their housing
plans and those of other metropolitan boroughs. Londoners raised
just under four million pounds through purchasing the bonds.
Unlike many of the others, the Desborough estate appears never
to have been built. Museum number 2002.125/11