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HOUSING
New Houses
The Council completed 255 new dwellings during the year
and at the end of December there were 791 new houses and
flats in course of erection.
Housing Applications
In 1957, 299 housing applications were referred to the
Medical Officer of Health for consideration as to the award of
priority points for medical reasons. An analysis of these cases
showing the medical conditions and degrees of priority recommended
appear in the following table:
Category
Medical Condition
(a) Immediate
and urgent
(c) No Recommendation
(b) Less
Urgent
20
5
Tuberculosis
17
20
6
7
Bronchitis and/or Asthma
Other respiratory conditions
6
12
5
12
5
3
Rheumatic conditions
14
4
2
Heart conditions
Physical disabilities (bad legs, etc.)
15
-
2
21
19
16
Nervous disorders
47
22
19
Other medical conditions
155
87
57
Totals
In 14 of these cases it was reported that there was friction
between the respective tenants in the house, and in six instances
enquiries revealed incompatibility with coloured landlords.
The latter problem is becoming more frequent as an increasing
number of coloured immigrants enter this country and purchase
partly vacant houses with white tenants already in occupation.
Sometimes a desire on the part of the new owner to secure
possession of the white tenant's rooms so that he can re-let them
to a fellow countryman leads to disagreement and ill-feeling
between tenant and landlord. In other cases friction is brought
about by a marked difference in the standard of living of the
two families, or occasionally by colour-prejudice on the part of
the white family. Whatever the cause, the result is an increase
in the housing waiting list as these cases are usually supported
by medical practitioners certifying neurotic disorders which it
is alleged are caused or aggravated by the trying conditions