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Overcrowding.
Much of the property in the north and north-west parts of
the Borough is old with defects associated with age. These
properties are for the most part overcrowded and occupied by two
or more families.
The extent of overcrowding conditions existing in the Borough
cannot be ascertained otherwise than by a survey of the area. At
the time of writing this Report, a new Housing Bill is before Parliament
in which there is a provision requiring every local authority to
cause an inspection of their district to be made, with a view to
ascertaining what dwelling houses therein are overcrowded. It will
also be the duty of metropolitan local authorities to prepare and
submit to the London County Council a report showing the result
of the inspection and the number of new houses which will be
required in order to abate such overcrowding.
The abatement of overcrowding by the provision of new dwellings
will materially assist local authorities to deal with the remaining
problems associated with housing conditions in Camberwell, now
that a definite programme of action has been settled with regard
to slum clearance and the rehousing of displaced persons.
During the year 102 fresh cases of overcrowding came to the
notice of this department, and in these cases the attention of the
tenants and owners was drawn to the existence of the nuisance, but
no pressure was brought to bear on families requiring the abatement
of the nuisance, whose financial circumstances did not permit of any
additional charge being incurred for additional accommodation.
In 16 instances the nuisance was abated by the families themselves
and the London County Council provided houses or flats in
26 cases.
In one case legal proceedings were taken to require the abatement
of the nuisance.
The standard adopted in determining whether a dwelling house
is overcrowded is that applying to the amount of free air space per
person as required by the London County Council by-laws relating
to houses divided into separate tenements.
Houses Divided into Separate Tenements.
There are many areas in Camberwell containing houses designed
for one family which are now occupied by several families, without
structural alteration to provide for adequate sanitary accommodation,
washing facilities and proper food storage arrangements for
each family.
There were at the end of 1934, 239 tenement houses on the register.
The London County Council by-laws relating to houses
divided into separate tenements enable this type of premises to be