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people at about the age of adolescence are forced to share a room with
older people. Again ; where the number of tenements in a house is
unduly increased, the difficulties of providing a separate water-closet,
water supply, and food storage accommodation for each family become
almost insuperable. At the Census of 1911, 52 per cent, of the private
families were living in tenements of five rooms or less, while at the
Census of 1921 this number had increased to 64, equivalent to an
increase of 23 per cent. The percentage of private families in
6-roomed tenements and upwards had correspondingly decreased from
48 per cent, in 1911 to 36 per cent, in 1921.
Overcrowding.
It is difficult, without making special inquiries in that direction, to
form a close estimate of the extent of the overcrowding in Hampstead,
but there is no doubt that considerable overcrowding does exist. I have
extracted certain statistics from the Census Returns showing the number
of private families occupying tenements of five rooms and under, where
the customary standard of not more than two persons per room is
exceeded. Where such conditions obtain, overcrowding is deemed to
exist. The table may be read as follows, taking as an example the first
line : —there were in 1911, 103 instances where 3 persons were living in
1 room while in 1921 the corresponding number was 158.