The ambitious model villages created by the great Victorian philanthropists – Bournville, Port Sunlight, Saltaire – are undoubtedly a product of their time. A paternalistic response to the desperate slums inhabited by many city-dwelling working poor, suitable for a society rigidly stratified into classes.

But however stark the differences with today, evidence suggests employers are in the 21^st century, again asking what they can, and should, be doing to help solve the housing crisis.

This is no exercise in charity – the high cost of housing is hitting businesses hard. Two-thirds, according to an annual CBI survey, now say their businesses are being damaged by the lack of available housing – the highest number on record. More than half say they are losing staff because they can’t find anywhere affordable to live, leading the employer organisation to describe the issue as a “ticking time bomb” for British business.

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