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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Camberwell 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
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In the early part of the year the Council were notified by the
London County Council that as and when dwellings become available
nominations of families in overcrowded houses for tenancies in
dwellings of the County Council would be invited. The County
Council's general pool of housing accommodation would be utilised
for this purpose and it was stated that while it was not possible to
say in advance where overcrowded families would be re-housed,
yet every endeavour would be made to satisfy the special needs of
each case.
The first nominations for improved housing accommodation
were submitted in June, and the number of Camberwell families
nominated for tenancies in dwellings of the County Council to
December 31st, 1936, was 261. The number of families re-housed
under this arrangement during this period was 132.
Fixing of Appointed Days.
At a later date consideration was given to the question of
fixing the appointed day for the purposes of Sections 3, 4, 8 and 68
of the Act, and July Ist, 1937, was suggested by the London County
Council—the authority for the submission of re-housing proposals—
as the appointed day as regards this and certain other Boroughs
in the Metropolis.
The Council agreed with this proposal, and the Order fixing
the appointed day as July 1st, 1937, was subsequently made by
the Minister of Health on December 22nd, 1936.
It therefore became necessary for the Council to consider making
arrangements for the room measurements of approximately 28,000
houses in the Borough to be carried out to enable information to
be furnished to owners and occupiers if requested as to the number
of persons constituting the "permitted number" in relation to
dwelling-houses to which the Act applies. The necessary staff
arrangements were accordingly authorised by the Council for
these duties.
HOUSING ACT, 1935.- OVERCROWDING SURVEY. TABLE SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF WORKING-CLASS FAMILIES IN RELATION TO THE FAMILIES AND THE SIZE OF THE DWELLINGS OCCUPIED. Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell.
| Size of family (in equivalent No. of persons). | Size of dwelling occupied, in terms of the maximum " | erBons permitted to occupy it without causing it to be overcrowded. | Total of Families. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ½ | 1 | 1½ | 2 | 2½ | 3 | 3½ | 4 | 4½ | 5 | 5½ | 6 | 6½ | 7 | 7½ | 8 | 8½ | 9 | 9½ | 10 | 10½ | 11 | 11½ | 12 | 12½ | 13 | Overcrowded | No Overcrowded | Total | |
| 1 | 1 | 18 | 60 | 3,397 | 563 | 1,875 | 262 | 3 | 1,145 | 28 | 86 | 1 | 400 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 125 | – | 1 | 81 | 1 | – | 22 | – | 1 | – | 11 | 19 | 8,081 | 8,100 |
| 1½ | – | – | 3 | 9 | 22 | 50 | 22 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 7 | – | 4 | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 152 | 155 |
| 2 | – | 4 | 9 | 44 | *416 | 3,284 | 1,004 | 16 | 5,737 | 112 | 597 | 15 | 2,624 | 38 | 35 | 88 | 797 | 3 | 5 | 594 | 7 | 2 | 166 | – | 5 | – | 57 | *65 | 15,594 | 15,659 |
| 2½ | – | – | – | 70 | 56 | 26 | 1,314 | 10 | 2,269 | 62 | 221 | 6 | 827 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 222 | 1 | – | 110 | 1 | – | 30 | – | – | – | 5 | 126 | 5,146 | 5,272 |
| 3 | – | – | – | 33 | 31 | 31 | 911 | 22 | 3,500 | 120 | 499 | 24 | 3,067 | 70 | 86 | 128 | 1,223 | 14 | 17 | 933 | 16 | 1 | 294 | – | 9 | – | 118 | 95 | 11,052 | 11,147 |
| 3½ | – | – | 1 | 6 | 3 | 277 | 97 | 7 | 834 | 37 | 191 | 6 | 634 | 19 | 27 | 35 | 247 | 3 | 1 | 150 | 2 | – | 32 | – | – | – | 13 | 384 | 2,238 | 2,622 |
| 4 | – | – | – | 9 | 3 | 227 | 104 | 22 | 73 | 225 | 1,081 | 22 | 1,872 | 81 | 96 | 124 | 1,120 | 17 | 17 | 1,003 | 17 | 2 | 303 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 136 | 365 | 6,194 | 6,559 |
| 4½ | – | – | – | 1 | – | 68 | 36 | 8 | 23 | 55 | 287 | 6 | 365 | 16 | 14 | 31 | 224 | 3 | 3 | 162 | 5 | – | 50 | 1 | 1 | – | 20 | 136 | 1,243 | 1,379 |
| 5 | – | – | – | 2 | – | 67 | 30 | 18 | 38 | 81 | 434 | 12 | 1,003 | 37 | 60 | 74 | 752 | 15 | 11 | 778 | 10 | 3 | 203 | 1 | 2 | – | 83 | 236 | 3,478 | 3,714 |
| 5½ | – | – | – | – | – | 27 | 13 | 4 | 171 | 11 | 62 | 8 | 257 | 16 | 18 | 32 | 151 | 7 | 3 | 130 | 5 | 2 | 36 | 2 | 1 | – | 11 | 288 | 679 | 967 |
| 6 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 27 | 14 | 6 | 259 | 15 | 75 | 22 | 64 | 82 | 90 | 124 | 378 | 11 | 8 | 426 | 14 | 3 | 151 | – | 1 | – | 64 | 419 | 1,416 | 1,835 |
| 6½ | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | 2 | 1 | 96 | 11 | 28 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 20 | 39 | 104 | 1 | 2 | 95 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 1 | – | – | 14 | 178 | 339 | 517 |
| 7 | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | 3 | 1 | 83 | 7 | 26 | 15 | 24 | 31 | 46 | 61 | 175 | 5 | 10 | 223 | 7 | 2 | 72 | – | – | – | 35 | 196 | 636 | 832 |
| 7½ | – | – | – | – | – | 8 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 16 | 49 | 5 | 2 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 19 | – | – | – | 6 | 95 | 156 | 251 |
| 8 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | 23 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 73 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 100 | 9 | 1 | 36 | 1 | 2 | – | 14 | 142 | 193 | 335 |
| 8½ | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 13 | – | 3 | 2 | 34 | – | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 11 | – | 1 | – | 7 | 66 | 61 | 127 |
| 9 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 24 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 33 | 4 | 4 | 19 | – | 1 | – | 8 | 65 | 74 | 139 |
| 9½ | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 7 | – | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | – | – | – | 3 | 26 | 15 | 41 |
| 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | – | 4 | 21 | 16 | 37 |
| 10½ | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | 1 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 14 | 5 | 19 |
| 11 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 11½ | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| 12 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 12½ | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| 13 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | *1 | *2 | – | 2 |
| TOTALS OF DWELLINGS. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overcrowded | 1 | 22 | 13 | 166 | †101 | 755 | 302 | 62 | 746 | 128 | 211 | 59 | 198 | 50 | 50 | 35 | 21 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | *†2,950 | – | – |
| Not Over- | – | – | 60 | 3,406 | 993 | 5,235 | 3,513 | 59 | 13,587 | 640 | 3,403 | 100 | 11,117 | 400 | 514 | 778 | 5,579 | 98 | 101 | 4,907 | 111 | 27 | 1,491 | 11 | 29 | 1 | 612 | – | 56,772 | – |
| Total | 1 | 22 | 73 | 3,572 | 1,094 | 5,990 | 3,815 | 121 | 14,333 | 768 | 3,614 | 159 | 11,315 | 450 | 564 | 813 | 5,600 | 110 | 112 | 4,912 | 112 | 27 | 1,491 | 11 | 29 | 1 | 613 | – | – | 59,722 |