ABSTRACT
The provision of model dwellings on the principle of five per cent philanthropy was part of a much broader movement to steer English investment into philanthropic channels. In the mid-Victorian years there existed a widespread faith in the ability of philanthropic capitalism to combat the evils of overcrowding. The model dwelling movement was thus buried in a bewildering variety of ventures competing for the capital of potential philanthropists. The model dwelling companies received invaluable assistance from the government. The work of philanthropic individuals was, however, overshadowed by the efforts of the model dwelling companies and trusts, of which there were over thirty operating in London during the second half of the nineteenth century. The combination of philanthropy and capitalism had great appeal and in the popular press and reform literature of the age it was often presented as a panacea.
