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Very lew tenants seem to avail themselves of their ability, contained in Section 19 of the Housing Act, 1964
to initiate improvements to their dwellings where the owner has failed to respond to their requests. This
department dealt with only four applications under Section 19 during the year, of which three were found to be
capable of improvement. The probable reasons for the dearth of applications are:-
(a) A frequently unjustified fear as to security of tenure.
(b) Uncertainty about the amount of rent increase which may result from obtaining improvements.
It is intended during 1973 to pursue the question of publicity on Section 19, Housing Act, 1964 in order to
bring forward those tenants who are interested in improvements and inform them fully as to their rights and
the consequences which may be involved.
The Housing Section in particular has suffered during 1972 from a shortage of staff, but has managed to
carry out all those specific tasks which were assigned to it. There has, however, not been the ability to pursue
the inspection of houses in multiple occupation with the vigour required, nor to work ahead with area surveys
in order to provide information relating to the programming of action with regard to sub-standard housing.
Housing Act, 1969 — Qualification Certificates
The Housing Act 1969 introduced the procedure whereby dwellings occupied by controlled tenants could, if
certain qualifying conditions were met, be brought out of control and converted into regulated tenancies
subject to "Fair Rents".
If was estimated in 1969 that there were between 2,500 and 3,000 controlled tenancies in the Borough and it
was anticipated that after an initial surge the number of applications would diminish in successive years. This
has proved to be the case as 137 applications for Qualification Certificates were received in 1972 against 1,495
in 1970 and 605 in 1971.
During the year 225 applications were granted and 40 were refused, the higher number being accounted for
by applications from the previous year being carried over for decision.

Housing List
The Housing Manager has kindly supplied the following details:-
Number of persons rehoused on medical grounds 27
Number of all new Council dwellings erected during the year and the appropriate figures for
the following table 238
(1) Number of families rehoused by the Borough in new flats and houses since the war 6,020
(2) Number of families rehoused by the Borough in rebuilt houses since the war 28
(3) Number of families still living in pre-fabricated dwellings 74
(4) Number of families on the waiting list at the end of the year. 5,652
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