Sheriff Hill
This led to the building of the first council housing estate in Gateshead. Alderman Hodkin laid the foundation stone on 27 October 1920; as work commenced the Alderman demonstrated the authority's concerns, telling the local newspaper that: "we can build houses, but we cannot build homes. Only the people themselves can do that and I hope that the spirit of ‘esprit de corps’ will prevail and this will be a model estate" Demand was highthere were 427 applicants for the first twenty eight houses builtand the council built further tracts of housing in a broad triangle between Sodhouse Bank, Ermine Crescent and The Avenue, although central government withdrew its promised funding. By 1936, most of the social housing available as of 2012 was in existence and provides accommodation to over half of the population of the suburb.
Housing trust fund
In 1983, Boston established its first linkage program to help balance commercial construction with construction of affordable, residential development. All commercial construction projects of more than 100,000 feet requiring zoning relief are required to pay linkage fees or construct affordable housing and/or fund job-training programs. As of April, 2006 the city's linkage fee for affordable housing was $7.87 per square foot and $1.57 per square foot for employment. Since 1986, the Neighborhood Housing Trust has managed expenditures of affordable housing linkage fees. More than $81 million in linkage fees have funded the new construction or preservation of more than 6,000 units of homeownership, rental, or cooperative housing for households earning less than 80% of the median income. Among other eligible uses, funds can be used to develop abandoned property or convert non-residential property to residential. All developments must remain affordable for 50 years for ownership housing and in perpetuity for rental housing.