Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes

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Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes

Company type	Public
Industry	Housing
Founded	1841
Founder	Thomas Southwood Smith, Lord Howard, Viscount Ebrington, Lord Haddo, Sir Ralph Howard
Fate	Dissolved
Successor	Metropolitan Property Association
Headquarters	London
Products	Model dwellings

In London, the Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes (MAIDIC) was a Victorian-era, philanthropically-motivated model dwellings company. The association, established in 1841, was fore-runner of the modern housing association which sought to provide affordable housing for the working classes on a privately run basis, with a financial return for investors. Although not the first society to build such homes, the Association was the first to be founded expressly for this purpose.^[1] As such it was one of the earliest adopters of the principal of the five per cent philanthropy model, outlined in the Company's resolution: "that an association be formed for the purpose of providing the labouring man with an increase of the comforts and conveniences of life, with full return to the capitalist."^[1]