Council housing in Britain is widely criticized, rejected by government and is the object of waning public support. Yet at one time direct state provision accounted for one-third of the nations's housing stock. How did this decline come about? Ian Cole and Robert Furbey trace the emergence, rise and decline of council housing and explore its fluctuating status within the welfare state. The authors ask whether council tenure was misconceived from the start and whether it should now be seen as a suitable case for reform, or for total abolition. They examine why, of all welfare sectors, public housing has been subjected to the most intense attack by the Conservatives since 1979, and consider why it has proved so vulnerable. Their detailed analysis charts the development of policies towards council housing and the long-term retreat into a residential tenure. A distinctive aspect of the account is its analysis of the quality of housing offered by local authorities, and the responsiveness, democracy and efficiency of housing management. Particular emphasis is given to the deal which users have received from local authorities and their varying responses to that deal.