In 1946, Britain had an acute housing crisis. There had been no new housing built during the war and many returning from the war faced overcrowding or homelessness. What came in May '46 was not so much a squatter's movement but people just taking what they considered was their right, a home. There were over one thousand disused army camps and people began occupying them as squatting communities. By October, there were nearly 40,000 people in these squatters camps. Reactions were mixed, but mostly sympathetic to the people's plight but it was big news for months. This is a news feature from 1946 that gauged public opinion and would be shown in cinemas. Note: the organisation by the people, for the people. They were creating their own councils, sharing possessions and making it a real community for all. One of these squatters I interviewed said it was like, 'a holiday camp' atmosphere where everyone helped each other, sharing such things as prams, clothing and even food. This film will form part of my M.A. thesis next year.
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