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THE STRAND DISTRICT, LONDON.
Overcrowding.—In my report for 1898 I pointed out that
many persons displaced from the Insanitary Area were finding
accommodation in adjoining houses which were quite unsuitable
for letting out in tenements. During the past year, a large
number of cases of overcrowding have had to be dealt with. I
also pointed out that if the County Council did not proceed at
once with the scheme for a new street from Holborn to the
Strand it would be necessary to take further action under the
Housing of the Working Classes Acts.
Holbom to Strand Netv Street.—Fortunately the Council were
able to obtain the sanction of Parliament to their scheme, and
in a few years the insanitary conditions existing in St. Clement
Danes and St. Mary-le-Strand parishes will be removed. Meanwhile
the urgent cry is for house-room. I had hoped that the
Council would have erected buildings on the sites acquired by
them for the purpose, before the end of 1899, but with the
exception of one block of dwellings at Millbank, none of the
others are ready. Until that is done a large number of people
must continue to struggle on in the dwellings they at present
occupy, as to close their houses under present circumstances would
only tend to overcrowd adjoining districts.
Houses in the following streets will be removed under this
Act:—Bear Yard, Craven Buildings, Denzell Street, Drury
Court, Houghton Street, Sardinia Street, Sheffield Street, Stanhope
Street, Twining Street and Yere Street. In these streets I find
that there are 111 premises used for dwelling purposes. In these
are accommodated 534 families comprising 1,726 persons who
occupy 833 rooms. 754 persons occupy one roomed tenements,
768 two-roomed tenements, 74 three-roomed tenements, and 130
persons living in 23 houses have more than three rooms at their
disposal. During the last six years 390 deaths have occurred
among the residents of these houses, giving an average death-rate
of 32.2 per 1000; 21.5 per cent. of these deaths were due to
tubercular disease and 15 per cent. to zymotic disease. In the
respective streets the death-rate varied from 24 to 41 per 1,000.
In the above calculations, the Receiving Ward in Bear Yard and
four common lodging houses have been excluded.