AbstractThe process by which a London Borough makes decisions relating to its provision and management of council housing is described, and the problems of integrated policy planning in a system of decentralized control stated. Optimality of a housing strategy can only be related to the subjective and political aims of the housing committee, so optimization techniques are replaced by a decision evaluating model. This model has been used by the chairman of the committee and officers of the Borough to take decisions upon the Borough's medium range building plan with adequate recognition of effects upon the financial and social responsibilities of the committee. A critique points out the directions in which the model should be developed, and indications are given of the way in which these developments might be implemented.