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 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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26
Administration.
The powers and duties of the Council relating to the licensing and inspection of
common and seamen's lodging houses were transferred to metropolitan borough
councils on 1st April, 1933, under the provisions of the Transfer of Powers (London)
Order, 1933. At that date there were 149 licensed common lodging houses within the
county (excluding the City of London), with accommodation for a total of 16,482
persons. The number of seamen's lodging houses was 20, with accommodation for
1,025 lodgers.
Common and
seamen's
lodging
houses.
A census of homeless persons in London was taken on the night of Friday, 17th
February, 1933. The area covered extended over the whole of the county, except
such of the outlying portions as are not usually the resort of such persons. The
night was clear and cold. No persons were found sheltering under arches or on
staircases. In the streets 28 men and 13 women were found, compared with 73 men
and 14 women on the night of the census in 1932. In the common lodging houses
12,780 persons were accommodated compared with 13,966 in 1932. In the free
shelters and labour homes not licensed, 1,501 men, 164 women and 15 children were
accommodated compared with 1,208 men, 138 women and 20 children in 1932.
The number of persons in casual wards and in the associated hostel on the night in
question was 615, all males.
Census of
homeless
persons.
The following table shows briefly the results obtained in the several years during which the enumeration has been undertaken by the Council:—
| Year. | Common lodging houses (inmates) | Casual wards (inmates) | Homeless. | Total. | Year. | Common lodging houses (inmates) | Casual wards (inmates) | Homeless. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | 23,442 | 1,218 | 1,797 | 26,457 | 1920 | 14,333 | 88 | 51 | 14,472 |
| 1905 | 23,381 | 1,139 | 2,181 | 26,701 | 1921 | 14,090 | 188 | 66 | 14,344 |
| 1907 | 22,450 | 1,137 | 2,404 | 25,991 | 1922 | 13,076 | 289 | 112 | 13,477 |
| 1909 | 21,864 | 1,188 | 2,388 | 25,440 | 1923 | 13,891 | 400 | 141 | 14,432 |
| 1910 | 21,156 | 1,107 | 2,747 | 25,010 | 1924 | 14,165 | 429 | 82 | 14,676 |
| 1911 | 21,204 | 1,091 | 1,785 | 24,080 | 1925 | 14,425 | 503 | 118 | 15,046 |
| 1912 | 21,499 | 1,033 | 1,203 | 23,735 | 1926 | 14,593 | 668 | 103 | 15,364 |
| 1913 | 20,526 | 546 | 649 | 21,721 | 1927 | 14,724 | 777 | 101 | 15,602 |
| 1914 | 20,173 | 335 | 540 | 21,048 | 1928 | 14,738 | 835 | 78 | 15,651 |
| 1915 | 17,305 | 179 | 178 | 17,662 | 1929 | 14,648 | 860 | 31 | 15,539 |
| 1916 | 15,254 | 123 | 44 | 15,421 | 1930 | 14,855 | 740 | 79 | 15,674 |
| 1917 | 13,679 | 89 | 28 | 13,796 | 1931 | 14,970 | 689 | 78 | 15,737 |
| 1918 | 12,522 | 82 | 9 | 12,613 | 1932 | 13,966 | 836 | 87 | 14,889 |
| 1919 | 12,336 | 50 | 8 | 12,394 | 1933 | 12,780 | 615 | 41 | 13,436 |
Note—The area covered in 1904 was less than in later years—to be comparable with other years the
figures in the "Homeless" column should be 2,000.
Future enumerations of homeless persons in London will be taken under the
direction of the Public Assistance Committee of the Council with whose work the
subject is more intimately associated.