Records of Housing Divisions

Division within AT

1954-2006

Records relating to the creating bodies' responsibilities for domestic and commercial properties.

Registered files:

• Finance, Housing and General Division, AT 45;
• Housing Development Division, later Directorate, AT 54;
• Housing Finance, AT 52;
• Economics, Housing Division, AT 95;
• Local Authority Housing Division, AT 96;
• Housing Right to Buy Division, AT 131.
• Local Authority Housing Finance Division (LAH series), AT 139.
• Housing Associations, Revenue Division (HACR series), AT 140.
• Housing Private Finance Division (HPF series), AT 141
• Housing Management Estates Action Division (HMEA series),AT 142.
• Housing Renewal Division; Registered Files (HRP series), AT 143.
• Department of the Environment: Housing Private Rented Sector Division; Registered Files (HPRS series), AT 144.
• Homelessness Policy Division; registered files (HPD series), AT 152.

Photographs concerning Home Improvement Grants are in AT 62. Records of the Business Rents Division are in AT 77. Records of the Greater London Housing Division are in AT 88.

Housing Data, Renovation Grants and Group Repair Schemes activity quarterly data is in AT 68, with annual data in AT 69 (now series not used). Housing Statistics Computer Tapes, AT 11 is also a series now not used. House Building Enquiry Datasets are in AT 86.

Earlier files of the Housing Division are in HLG 118

Public Record(s)

English

• Department of the Environment, Finance, Housing and General Division, 1980-1997
• Department of the Environment, Housing and General Division, 1977-1980
• Department of the Environment, Housing Associations, Revenue Division, 1989-1993
• Department of the Environment, Housing, Ports and General Division, 1972-1976
• Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1997-2001
• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2002-2006

22 series

Topics

Trade and commerce

Computing

Construction industries

Housing

Poverty

Planning (Land and Property)

Prior to 1977, the functions of the Finance, Housing and General Division of the Department of the Environment were originally exercised by the Accountant General's Department of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government which became part of the newly created Department of the Environment in 1970. In 1972 the Finance, Transport Industries and Central Services Directorate of the Department of the Environment was established. Housing was added to the directorate's responsibilities in 1973.

From 1972 to 1974 the Transport, Ports and General Division of the Directorate was probably responsible, amongst other functions, for dealing with financial matters in relation to housing, particularly under the Housing Finance Act 1972 and the Housing Act 1974.

Between 1974 and 1976 these functions were carried out by the Housing, Ports and General Division of the directorate.

The Finance, Housing and General Division (originally the Housing and General Division) was established in 1977, with responsibility for ancient monuments and historic buildings, research, new towns, commercial rents and the financial aspects of housing policy and policy concerning the Housing Corporation. The division's responsibilities gradually changed over the years, and it later assumed responsibilities for the co-ordination of public expenditure planning for all Department of the Environment programmes, together with financial aspects of housing, construction, energy efficiency and local government.

The Finance, Housing and General Division continued to exist throughout the lifetime of the Department of the Environment, until 1997.

In 1986 the Housing and Construction branch of the Dept of the Environment was renamed Housing Construction and the Built Environment, although the divisions beneath it (HA 1-4, HB 1-4; 7, etc) remained the same. In 1987 the division HA 2, which had responsibility for council house sales and the Right to Buy scheme, etc., was renamed Housing Right to Buy (HRTB Division). At the same time other divisions became HPF (Private Finance for Housing), HPRS (Private Rented Sector), HACR (Housing Associations Revenue), HACC (Housing Association Capital) and HCTC (Co-operatives and Tenants Choice) under the Housing Associations and the Private Rented Sector directorate.

In 1995 the HRTB division was wound up and the responsibilities for the RTB schemeput under the newly-created HPHO (Housing Policy and Home Ownership) division.