View report page

72 Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1932.
3. Overcrowding.
It is impossible to give an accurate estimate of the amount
of overcrowding which exists owing to lack of complete
information, Only a proportion of the cases are known.
It is possible that 5 per cent. of the families in the Borough
are living in accommodation which is insufficient having
regard to the number of persons in the family and their ages
and sexes.
Overcrowding appears to be due mainly to inability to
pay the rent for other accommodation and to the shortage of
houses for those who are unable to afford more than 12s. 6d.
per week.
From time to time cases of overcrowding are accommodated
in one of the Borough Council's houses. Facilities
are also given by the London County Council for housing
certain overcrowded families who are specially recommended
by the Borough Council. A number of cases have been
dealt with under these arrangements.
Housing Act, 1930—Unhealthy Areas.
During 1932 I made one representation under Section 1 of the
Housing Act, 1930, in respect of an area known as Back Row,
Totterdown, Tooting, which contains six houses. As five of the
houses were unoccupied no further action has been taken for the
time being.
Twelve of the thirteen Areas which were declared as Clearance
Areas in 1931 have now been cleared and alternative accommodation
has been provided on one of the Council's Housing
Estates for all the occupiers of the houses demolished who wished
to avail themselves of it.
In three of these areas—viz. Cumber's Yard, Wandsworth,
Garden Cottages, Wandsworth and North Street, Clapham—
the Council has acquired the sites for the purpose of development
as re-housing sites for other insanitary areas which it is proposed
to clear. The erection of dwellings on these three sites will be
proceeded with shortly.