London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1905
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Sanitary District. | Vacant Accommodation for | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men. | Women. | Married Couples. | Total persons. | |
| Hackney | 96 | — | — | 96 |
| Hammersmith | 103 | 4 | 1 | 109 |
| Hampstead | — | — | — | — |
| Holborn | 183 | 122 | — | 305 |
| Islington | 280 | 105 | 5 | 395 |
| Kensington | 103 | 105 | 19 | 246 |
| Lambeth | 183 | — | — | 183 |
| Lewisham | 8 | — | — | 8 |
| Paddington | 35 | 11 | 9 | 64 |
| Poplar | 342 | — | — | 342 |
| St. Marylebone | 212 | 1 | — | 213 |
| St. Paneras | 61 | 54 | — | 115 |
| Shoreditch | 110 | — | — | 110 |
| Southwark | 721 | 190 | 2 | 915 |
| Stepney | 820 | 163 | 1 | 985 |
| Stoke Newington | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Wandsworth | 38 | — | 9 | 56 |
| Westminster, City of | 345 | 24 | — | 369 |
| Woolwich | 17 | 10 | 13 | 53 |
| Total | 4,610 | 856 | 62 | 5,590 |
Several censuses have been taken at various times with the obiect of showing how far the
authorised accommodation is made use of.
| Date of Census. | Authorised Accommodation. | Number of Persons occupying Beds. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men. | Women | Married Couples. | Total Persons. | Men. | Women | Married Couples. | Children | Total Persons. | |
| 21st June, 1897 | _ | _ | _ | 28,929 | 19,083 | 1,770 | — | 139 | 20,992 |
| 23rd June, 1897 | — | — | — | 28,929 | 18,735 | 1,693 | — | 105 | 20,533 |
| Average for week ending 28th June, 1902 | 25,5011 | 1,862 | 539 | 28,441½ | 20,922 | 1,635 | 473 | — | 23,503 |
| Average for week ending 26th October, 1902 | 25,751 | 1,843 | 556 | 23,706 | 22,031 | 1,844 | 463 | — | 24,801 |
| 14th November, 1903 | 25,718 | 2,281 | 447 | 28,893 | 22,596 | 1,655 | 428 | — | 25,107 |
| 29th January, 1904 | 25,718 | 2,281 | 447 | 28,893 | 21,058 | 1,517 | 390 | 87 | 23,442 |
| 17 February, 1905* | 25,671 | 2,450 | 422 | 28,965 | 21,055 | 1,578 | 357 | 34 | 23,381 |
* Including 69 beds for men in houses in the City of London, of which 62 beds were occupied.
These figures show an average of between five and six thousand vacant beds each night in London
common lodging houses.
"The number (2,481) of homeless persons found on the night of the 17th February, 1905, is
greater by 684 than the number found in the beginning of 1904, and, indeed, the fact that the Church
Army gave away 1,600 tickets, and the Salvation Army gave free beds to 64 persons, suggests that
this difference might be as large as 2,348. In the districts not included in the first census 196 persons
were found. It is, of course, impossible to say how many of the persons receiving food, and who
were reckoned as homeless, may subsequently have found their way to their own homes; how many
who were given free beds would otherwise have provided for themselves, and how many may have
been attracted to London by the expectation of receiving assistance. One of the Council's inspectors
enquired of 318 persons receiving food whether they were Londoners, and in 277 cases the reply
was in the affirmative, 39 persons admitting coming from the provinces, while 2 were foreigners. The
Chief Inspector put a similar question to 100 men in the Church Army tent in the Strand, and 30 stated
that they had come to London so recently as from one day to one month previously. Again the
Council's inspectors found, among the persons receiving food, many who were known to them as
frequenters of common lodging houses. It is noteworthy that, notwithstanding the fact that the Church
Army issued tickets for beds in common lodging houses to 1,600 men, the actual number of persons
who slept in common lodging houses and shelters that night was some 60 less than on the night of
the first census in January of last year."