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45
Legal proceedings were taken against the landlord of a house who
had let it out in furnished rooms in such circumstances as to cause
four of the rooms to be overcrowded and thereby to create offences
against the Housing Act, 1936. Three of the tenants having vacated
their rooms while the matter was under consideration, the proceedings
are taken only in respect of the fourth room. In this case also, the
tenant vacated before the summons came before the Court. The
andlord pleaded guilty and was fined £1, and £1 1s. Od. costs were
awarded to the Council.
Housing Accommodation Applications.
All applications made to the Council are normally dealt with by
the Housing Manager, who refers to me those cases in which the
application is based wholly or partly on medical grounds. These cases
indelude applications for transfer from Council tenants and licensees
of requistioned premises. He also refers certain cases in which some
special feature is involved {e.g., fitness of basement rooms).
Under the Council's "Points Scheme," points are allocated by the
Housing Manager for statutory overcrowding, bedroom deficiency, lack
of a .searate home, etc., and he refers to me cases of ill-health (for
which additional points up to a maximum of 15 for pulmonary tuberculosis
and 10 for other conditions can be allocated), and unsuitable
accommodation (for which the maximum additional points is 10).
Each case is placed in a group according to the number of bedrooms
requird by the family. Applications with the highest number of
points in each group are submitted to the Housing Committee for
insrructions Cases where the applicant or a member of his household
is suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis and is infectious, and where
the accommodiation is considered to be inadequate, are submitted to
the Committee irrespective of the total number of points allocated.
The points scheme does not apply to applications for transfers from
Council or requisitioned property, which are still dealt with under the
previous system, " essential" and " advisable " recommendations being
made on medical grounds.
During 1953 a total of 752 cases were dealt with under the arrangements set out in the three preceding paragraphs. The maximum
number of points on medical grounds other than pulmonary tuberculosis
were allocated to 8 applications. In 18 cases the maximum points were
given for pulmonary tuberculosis, 8 of these being referred to the
Housing Committee for special consideration as the accommodation was
indicate. In 21 cases of transfer applications, rehousing was
recomended as essential on medical grounds.
to London County Council also refer cases in which there appear
to be overcrowding, for the submission, in appropriate cases, of an
''orange" form." Overcrowding was found to exist in 2 instances.
The London County Council also notify cases in which the application
allegs sanitary defects. The houses are inspected, and action
to secure the remedy of any defects found is taken.