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101
(3) Difficulties in remedying, unfitness, special measures taken, or
suggested, including, for example, any special action taken to secure
improved management of property by owners; the gradual carrying out of
repairs according to agreed arrangements; or any special method of dealing
with, unfit back-to-back houses, or other types of insanitary property.—
Those encountered are chiefly the result at present of the dearth of
housing accommodation. The special measures taken for remedying
unfit houses has been described in the preceding paragraph. Difficulties,
of course, arise from the populous condition of the dwellings at
present, the legal complications as regards tenure, etc., rent restriction,
and the cost of repairs. Thus, one of our most powerful weapons in
dealing with insanitary property has been, heretofore, the Closing
Order; but this weapon is now practically impotent. The natural
sequel of a Closing Order is to dishouse the tenant of the
condemned building. This at present is neither practicable nor
desirable where no other accommodation exists. The Closing Order,
therefore, becomes only practical on empty property, and of such there is
none. Cases are also met with where the owners are willing to do the
works asked for, but plead that they cannot do so unless the rooms are
vacated. This is true, so that one has to be content with such works as
can be done without disturbing the tenants.
(4) Conditions, so far as they affect housing, as regards water supply,
closet accommodation, and refuse disposal, together with measures taken
during the year in these matters.—The water supply of the Borough is
good; but the sub-letting of houses originally built for occupation by
one family has necessitated action by the Sanitary Authority in
requiring the provision of water supply to tenements in houses that
have been sub-let to several families. More difficulty is experienced in
obtaining additional water closet accommodation to sub-let premises for
reasons, inter alia, set out in the preceding paragraph.
Section 78 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act,
1907, provides that, for the purposes of section 48 (which contains
provisions as to houses without a proper water supply) of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, a tenement house is to be deemed a house
without a proper and sufficient supply of water unless there is
provided on the storey or one of the storeys in which the rooms or
lodgings in the separate occupation of each family occupying the house
are situate a sufficient provision for the supply of water for domestic
purposes.