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It became obvious that the "colour bar"
problem was increasing in south-east London.
Examples quoted included coloured and white tenants
in adjacent rooms having to share W.C. accommodation.
The purchase of a house by a coloured person caused
resentment amongst the white tenants, many of whom
had lived there for a number of years; it was often
alleged that there was victimisation in order to
evict them in favour of coloured tenants, the latter
often being willing to pay higher rents.
(d) Tuberculosis. A special points system for Tuberculous
applicants was devised in 1953 and this
with some modification, has proved successful and
has been continued. By this method of assessment,
families at the greatest risk by reason of the age
and sex of the members, and adverse living conditions,
were given the highest priorities. The outmoded,
and often, only criterion of " positive sputum with
no separate bedroom" has thus been considerably
modified. The special forms were completed at the
Chest Clinic and the number of points calculated at
the same time. This simplified the work of the
Panel and no instance occurred in which the
recommended and final assessment of priority differed.
Fourteen per cent of all recommendations were in
respect of tuberculous disease.
(e) Nervous Disorders. In 20% of the applications,
the disability was given as mental illness - chiefly
nervous debility or anxiety neurosis. These cases
presented the biggest assessment problems, for
whilst in a number of instances the effects of malhousing
were very real, in others there were no
grounds for believing that this was so, or indeed
that the diagnosis could be accepted as anything
but an attempt to accelerate rehousing. In these
cases, the opinion of consultant psychiatrists was
invaluable although, unfortunately rehousing could
not be assured in all the deserving cases.
(f) Bronchitis. Patients suffering from bronchitis
formed the second largest number (16.4%) of applicants.
Dampness (although its presence was not
always confirmed) was alleged frequently to be a
causative or aggravating factor.