ABSTRACT
The demand for housing in both the rented and the owner-occupied sectors has in recent years been substantially facilitated by subsidies: mainly rate fund contributions to local authority housing (until they were discontinued in 1989/90), Exchequer subsidies and housing benefit in both the social and the private rented sectors, and-until the start of the new millennium-mortgage interest relief in owner-occupation. Except for housing benefit (which increased dramatically), all other subsidies decreased during the 1990s.
