Ben Affleck, Chief Housing Officer for MKDC 1970 -1980

Ben was born in Manchester; his family moved to Rotherham where he won a scholarship for the Grammar School. A ‘safe job’ was then in the local authority, aiming for Accountancy qualifications. In World War II he joined Local Defence Volunteers and recalls some frightening night duty shifts. Subsequently in the RAF Volunteer Reserve, he trained as a Wireless Operator, guiding aircraft. After the war he changed careers to Housing Management and qualified for the Institute of Housing exams. Ben then worked at Flint Borough Council, then Cannock UDC, where he ‘spent 10 years setting up and reorganising it’. From 1960-1968 he was Solihull Borough Council’s Housing Manager, then moved to Birmingham (1968-70), a very interesting post with 280 staff. But in 1970 he applied to be Chief Housing Officer in Milton Keynes.
After leaving Milton Keynes in 1975, Ben developed a National Mobility Scheme for Local Authorities to enable movement of Council tenants, and continued voluntary work in Milton Keynes for the Rotary Club, Open Door, Build and Train and Wavendon All Music Plan.