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Submitted to the Ministry of Health for approval. One such scheme
—that of Hortensia Road site—has fortunately materialised, approval
of the others not being obtained on the ground that the cost of the land
was much higher than the price the Ministry could sanction for the
purchase of land to be used for the erection of buildings to house the
working classes.
Hortensia House, Hortensia Road, completed in May, 1925, and now
fully occupied, provides accommodation for 250 persons in 56 flats,
namely 35 three-room flats and 21 four-room flats. The total cost of
site and buildings was £53,800, including Exchequer subsidies amounting
to about £4,350. The total weekly rents, including hot water supply
and electricity, vary from 25s. to £1 14s. 3d. This scale of rents was
drawn up on an economic basis, on the instructions of the Ministry of
Health, the Ministry's decision being based upon the high cost of the
site and construction. The rents are obviously much higher than the
working classes proper can afford to pay and indeed most of the tenants
are classes in receipt of small salaries or earnings—a group not usually
classed as "working classes."
Reviewing the history of the past twenty-five years, it would appear
that the housing policy of the Borough Council has been firstly to preserve,
where possible, in areas threatened with demolition, such working class
accommodation as was of reasonably good type; and secondly, to
provide accommodation by means of new buildings in an accessible
position within the Borough for those persons of the working class who
are average representatives of their class, and for whom the necessities
of their trade or calling render residence within the Borough desirable
or necessary.
It cannot be disputed that at the present time in Chelsea, as in other
metropolitan boroughs, there is considerable dearth of accommodation
both for the working classes and for the classes in receipt of small salaries
or earnings and that, as elsewhere, this situation is primarily due to the
restrictions imposed upon the building trades during the War and the
economic disturbances which have succeeded it.
The provision of the Hortensia Road dwellings has been most valuable,
but additional housing facilities are undoubtedly required to meet the
needs of a large section unable to pay the rents at Hortensia Road. With
this end in view, the Housing Committee has been actively engaged
during the year in investigating possible sites in connection with a further
Housing Scheme. Fortunately, as a result of these deliberations, the
Council has now been successful in acquiring a very suitable site in King's
Road, at a cost of £19,000. Approval of the Ministry of Health has been
obtained. The area concerned is 1.98 acres in extent, and is admirably
adapted for the erection of working class dwellings.
Overcrowding. Overcrowding, where it exists, is mainly confined to
the western district of the Borough. There has been comparatively
little improvement in its prevalence during the year. Many of the
cases when approached as to the desirability of having their names submitted
to the County Council, with a view to provision of housing on
one of the Council's Estates, decline to consider the proposition, on the