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structural alterations being' made with a view to making better provision for
the needs of the families living in them. The Council passed the following
resolution:—
"That upon information that the leases of tenement properties in the borough are
about to expire, or that rebuilding schemes are taking place, the Town Clerk be
authorised to communicate with the ground landlords, calling their attention to
the recommendations of the Medical Officer of Health as regards sanitary
provision, and suggesting that they should be incorporated as far as possible in
the covenants of the new leases or rebuilding schemes."
The following statement upon the matter was drawn up by the Medical
Officer of Health, and was subsequently approved by the Council.
Town Hall, Pancras Road, N.W.
March, 1917.
HOUSING ACCOMMODATION IN TENEMENT HOUSES.
The housing accommodation in many working class tenement houses in StPancras
is very deficient. This arises from the fact that the houses were originally
built for the accommodation of one family each, and are now let in such a way
that each house is occupied by several families, without the alterations having
been made which are necessary to provide proper sanitary provisions for each
separate family.
Very commonly the houses consist of four floors, each containing two rooms
and each floor is let to a separate family. Sometimes, however, the tenant has a
single room; or on the other hand, may be able to afford three or four rooms. In
the latter case he may occupy the whole of two floors. In parts of the borough
some of the tenement-houses have three rooms on each floor.
It is quite usual to find such a sub-let house provided with only one w.c.—
generally in the yard—and with no scullery accommodation or separate sinks for
the various tenants, though frequently there are one or more water-taps for the
common use of the tenants on the staircase. It is thus brought about that in many
tenement-houses families have to live in one, two, or more rooms, with no proper
separate accommodation in the way of w.c., scullery, sink, water supply, yard (or
balcony), etc., and frequently separated from the common w.c. or water-tap by
several flights of stairs.
It cannot be doubted that grave injury results to the public health from
these evils. They are not confined to the "slums," but are endured by many
respectable working-class people who pay rents which would in many other towns
provide them with good separate cottages.
While the houses are owned by lessees who have, as is frequently the case,
difficulty in making them pay, it is difficult to suggest a method of ameliorating
the conditions. But when the leases terminate and the houses revert to the freeholders,
it is most important that they should not be leased again for a further
term of years with no alterations except the repair of dilapidations. New leases
should not be granted unless such alterations are made as will provide sanitary
accommodation for all the families who live in the houses. Once they pass out
of the freeholder's hands the opportunity has gone. Grave public responsibility,
therefore, devolves upon the freeholder when leases upon tenement-house property
terminate, and this is especially so in the case of the ground-owners of large estates.
In determining the future of such houses it first has to be decided whether
they ought to be demolished in order to make room for dwellings offering proper
accommodation for families, or whether alterations can be made for the same