A culture of decline

And report author David Page says programmes such as the New Deal for Communities will not be enough to stop the rot.

"There’s been a reluctance by this government and the last one to accept that concentrated disadvantage creates problems," he said.

"If they did admit it they would have to do something about it. The government does not seem keen to spend vast amounts of money on social housing to turn these places around."

And in a thinly veiled attack on New Labour’s track record on regeneration, he added: "It’s the resources, stupid, not clever ways of working."

The report focused on estates in the north east, London and in an affluent town. In each case crime, drugs, low aspirations and abandonment were recurring themes.

Page said: "Social housing estates have taken an undue proportion of the burden of economic and social restructuring. Thatcher’s years turned off the tap of investment in social housing.

"Housing associations were supposed to stem the tide but they’ve never had the funding. In the last 20 years social housing has declined while demand has gone up."

The release of the JRF report coincides with publication of the British Social Attitudes Survey which includes a chapter on social housing showing tenants are only too aware of the state of their homes. Just 52 per cent regard their estates as pleasant places to live.

Attitudes to council and housing association landlords differ too with 73 per cent of council tenants happy, compared to 63 per cent among RSLs

Over a quarter of RSL tenants said they would rather be under local authority control.

Author Peter Kemp, professor of housing at Glasgow University said: "People were asked if they would take an offer of a council house and which would provide the best service. Generally people preferred councils to housing associations."