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* The appropriate Authorities were informed and the necessary action taken.
Requisitioned Property.
Repairs, reconstruction or replacement of drainage and sanitary fitments have
continued to be supervised in properties which have been requisitioned by the
Council, to ensure, wherever practicable, compliance withe Statutory requirements.
SECTION D.
HOUSING.
To a large extent, the houses in the Borough, due to their age and condition,
present a major problem as emphasised in previous reports. Owners are reluctant
to incur any expense in the repair of property which has proved to be uneconomic,
and the relative provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, have been
enforced to keep the houses free from serious nuisance. Overcrowding and the
occupation of unfit underground rooms were the cause of much concern to the Council.
It is still not practicable to assess the amount of overcrowding existing in the Borough,
owing to the movement of the population and the absence of precise information.
There is no doubt, however, that in common with other Metropolitan Boroughs, the
attraction of employment within the London area is a contributary factor towards
the creation of such conditions.
Negotiations were in progress with the London County Council, in respect of a
street of houses which were considered by the Council to be in such a condition as
not to be repairable at a reasonable cost, as a result of which 16 houses in the street
were surveyed and specifications relative to the same were priced. The question
was still under discussion with the London County Council at the end of the year.
The Housing Act, 1949, came into operation on the 30th July, the most important
change, as far as this Department is concerned, being the deletion of the words
" working classes " from the relative Sections of the Housing Act, 1936.
Number of new applications (L.C.C.) referred
to this Department 2,776
Number of applications recommended on the
grounds of serious ill-health 12
Number of above families living in overcrowded
conditions 877
Number of families re-housed by the L.C.C. 344
Number of above families not living in overcrowded
conditions 690
Total number of letters sent concerning housing
conditions 3,256