Housing in
Birmingham

Life in Birmingham during the late 1800s and early 1900s was hard for those with low incomes. Many were living in the squalid conditions of the ‘back-to-back’ terrace blocks. These terraces or courts consisted of two or three storey dwellings with a shared yard and amenities such as water pump, washroom and “privy”. This was usually uncovered and could be shared by as many as fifteen families.

The terraces were built very close together to accommodate the growing population and migrants from the countryside who moved to the city to look for work in the factories. Rent was often as low as 3d per week, as much as most could afford, but for some even this was hard to find and many found it necessary to pack up their families and move on during the night to avoid the rent-collectors. Things were getting starting to get better though by 1901 as no further ‘back-to-back’ developments were allowed to be built. Better housing with more space and private amenities replaced them but these were still beyond the means for most working class families.