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37
is on the edge of the district as at present developed, and is distant
from places of occupation and railway stations. Tenants will
probably be loath to remove from their present houses which are
more conveniently situated.
In building a housing estate, it is essential that a sufficient
number of larger type houses should be built to allow for the increaing
size of the family. On the other hand, there is a difficulty a
times in letting the larger houses to the larger families as these
ordinarily, are not in the same position to pay the extra rents
compared with those of smaller families. One method of over
coming this difficulty is to allocate these houses to a small family
and to sanction the taking in of a single lodger. When the size of
the family warrants it, the tenants can be requested to get rid of the
lodger. In addition to making provision for the future larger
family and also assisting the tenant in the payment of his rent,
such a procedure would be of advantage to many people who world
in the district but arc at present unable to live here as they cannot
obtain a house or lodgings. Such a practice should definitely be
restricted to lettings to single lodgers. Any extension to include
married couples would only result in further difficulties through
overcrowding by the two families in the house.
The greatest difficulty anticipated in this district, however,
is expected to arise in the Bccontrec Estate. There arc over
15,000 houses with a high population per house and deficient in old
age persons. The result is that the increase per house from
births will not, for a considerable period of time, be balanced by
the deaths. A serious condition of affairs must arise when the
children reach adolescenec. While young, the children can be
placed in bedrooms irrespective of sex, but at adolescence, separation
will be required. A further difficulty will arise when these
children reach a marriageable age. Either they will have to live
in the homes with their parents, as so many are already doing, will
resultant overcrowding, or they will leave to find accommodation
outside the district. No doubt this will be determined by the place
of occupation of the wage earner. Should this exodus of young
adults occur to any great extent, this district will again show a
peculiar age distribution, in that it will then contain an excess of
old age persons without the compensating young adults. Ina
few years, there will be an annual increase of persons over 20 of
about 2,500 by persons under 20 reaching that age. To retain
them in the district in suitable circumstances, provision will
to be made. Smaller estates built on t he adjoining stable
have not experienced this difficulty to any extent. There the
overflow is absorbed into the neighbouring stable areas. Here,
however, there is no such district in a position to absorb them