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No by-laws with regard to tents, vans, sheds, etc., are in force in this
district.
Underground Rooms.—It is estimated that 6,500 basements are in
occupation for dwelling purposes. Of that number about 221 are
separately occupied as dwellings.
During the past five years, 162 underground rooms have been found to
be occupied contrary to Section 96 of the Public Health (London) Act or to
the Council's Regulations relating to underground sleeping places made
under the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909. In 126 cases the
occupants have been rehoused and the illegal occupation has ceased.
The remainder are still in occupation owing to the difficulty in finding
other accommodation. In certain of these cases conditions, though
technically breaking the law, are not so serious as to demand radical
measures.
The figures in the preceding paragraph apply to working-class
dwellings, except in a few cases where the Regulations with regard to
sleeping apartments were not complied with in such premises as clubs, etc.
The City Council's regulations made under Section 17 (7) of the
Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, with respect to underground
sleeping places have proved useful, but are somewhat cumbersome in
operation. No penalty is provided for a contravention of the regulations
until after a closing order has been made under the Housing Acts with
respect to a sleeping place used as such contrary to the regulations.
Hostels.—Eighteen Hostels provide accommodation for 1,247 persons,
696 males and 551 females, including business women, students, single
policemen, boys and girls.
The table which follows is an attempt to convey in statistical form
the salient points outlined in the preceding summary of housing conditions
of the working classes throughout the various wards of the City.
Those who are competent to express opinions on housing must realize
the enormous difficulties of dealing with the problem within the
boundaries of the City. Site values in this heart of the Empire are
necessarily very high. Vacant land, for housing purposes, in an area so
circumscribed is practically non-existent, while demands for housing in
this central district are naturally insistent. This report attempts to
record the continuous work which the City Council has accomplished
during the past five years in rehousing and providing additional
accommodation, thus successfully relieving overcrowding and other
insanitary conditions to an extent perhaps quite unknown to the
average citizen.