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125
THE HOUSING QUESTION
The Housing Policy of the Finsbury Borough Council was
stated in my report for last year. Only certain portions of that
policy came within the duties of the Public Health Committee
and these have received attention during the year. Briefly, they
are three. First, insanitary areas and houses. Secondly, the
keeping of a register of all persons displaced. Thirdly, the
enforcement of the Public Health (London) Act, in respect to
house property and overcrowding. In my report of 1901 1
discussed in some detail the general position of the housing
question and the necessary steps that should be taken. The
past year has been occupied in taking the steps, and a large
amount of work has been done. I propose to deal strictly with
the above-mentioned points of insanitary areas and the mainten—
ance of sanitation in house property. A register is being kept
of persons displaced in any houses closed by the Borough
Council.
For convenience this section dealing with the Housing
Question will be sub-divided under three main headings. In the
first place the insanitary areas under the London County will be
considered; then the smaller insanitary areas receiving the
attention of the Borough Council ; and thirdly, the general
question of the maintenance of sanitation in house property and
the reduction of overcrowding.
Many of the particulars which follow, respecting the areas now
being dealt with by the London County Council, appeared in a
special report I was instructed to draw up at the end of 1902.
These facts are printed here for purposes of reference, and
because of their great importance. They show in a very clear
manner the steady degeneration of property in the areas during
the process of reform, and furnish many illustrations of the
difficulties of housing work in Finsbury, and the causes of the
overcrowding in some parts of the Borough.