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Housing Applications.
During the year 578 applications were received for housing
accommodation on London County Council estates and were
forwarded to that authority for attention. These applications were
to abate overcrowding in 351 instances and the remainder were
recommendations for preferential consideration for rehousing on
the grounds of ill-health and/or unhealthy housing conditions.
At the close of the year 222 of these applications had been satisfactorily
dealt with by the L.C.C. There were also 311 applications
received during 1937 for housing accommodation in properties
owned by this Council.
Overcrowding.
It became necessary during the year to make arrangements for
room measurements of approximately 28,000 houses in view of
July Ist, 1937, being fixed as the " appointed day " under the
provisions of Part IV of the Housing Act, 1936, so as to enable
information as to the number of persons constituting the permitted
number entitled to occupy working class dwelling houses to be
made available for owners and occupiers on request.
These duties involved the appointment of a temporary staff
of measuring assistants and clerks for a period of approximately
five months. The Council also authorised the display of posters
throughout the Borough outlining the overcrowding provisions of
the Housing Act, and the publication of a leaflet for distribution
for the information of owners and occupiers of working class
dwellings.
In view of the large number of enquiries from tenants and other
persons for information as to their rights and duties under the
provisions of the Housing Act which the Council anticipated would
be received, arrangements were made for the use of a room on the
ground floor of the Town Hall as an enquiry office for this purpose
and for similar enquiries such as those with regard to the application
of the Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Acts.