POVERTY in York has been in the spotlight since the end of the 19th century.

In 1899, social reformer, sociological researcher and industrialist Seebohm Rowntree, inspired by the work of his father Joseph, investigated the city’s poverty through a study of 46,754 people.

His findings, Poverty: A Study Of Town Life, were published in 1901 and showed 27.84 per cent of York’s population lived below the poverty line, challenging the perception it was primarily a London problem.

His Poverty And Progress study, published in 1941, found poverty levels had decreased but legislation was still needed to combat it.

A third survey, 1951’s Poverty And The Welfare State, concluded “absolute poverty” was a minor problem as the economy grew and the welfare state developed, but pockets of deprivation remained.

However, his claims that old age had replaced unemployment as the chief cause of poverty were later described as overoptimistic.