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with more than a proportion of the cases of overcrowding during the
year. Whenever possible, arrangements are made with the London
County Council for the provision of a house for the overcrowded
family. Eight such families obtained accommodation on the Council's
Estates during the year. Further, when vacant tenements become
available in the Borough Council's dwellings, preferential treatment is
as far as possible given to cases of overcrowding. With a view to
preventing a recurrence of overcrowding in premises which are being
vacated because of their overcrowded condition, a cautionary letter is
always sent to the landlord concerned, warning him that action will be
taken against him in the event of a recurrence of overcrowded conditions
in the premises.
During the period 7th January to 25th March, 1937, a further survey
of working-class dwelling-houses in the Borough was carried out in
accordance with the Housing Act, 1936.
The purpose of the survey was to ascertain the permitted number of
persons entitled under the Act to occupy a working-class dwelling.
This necessitated the measurement of each room in 5,112 houses.
Under Section 62 of the Housing Act, a Landlord or Occupier of a
dwelling-house may apply to a Local Authority, and it is the duty of
the Local Authority to inform the applicant, in writing, of the number
of persons constituting the permitted number in relation to the house.
Fitness of Houses—The general standard of housing in the Borough
is satisfactory. There has been a very definite improvement in housing
conditions during the past ten years. The vast majority of houses have
an adequate internal water supply and adequate sanitary accommodation
within their own curtilage. The constant vigilance of the Sanitary
Inspectors has impressed upon both owners and tenants their determination
that every dwelling house shall be maintained in a reasonable state
of repair and that there shall be systematic observance of cleanliness.
While the great majority of these houses are structurally sound, a
number of them are old, worn out and below the modern standards of
sanitation and convenience. It is probable that only a minority of the
tenants would be able to pay economic rents for alternative accommodation,
having regard to the rents that require to be fixed for new
dwellings, owing to the greatly increased cost of land and construction
during recent years.
Another problem is caused by certain old people, usually women.
Many of these live alone in a single room with no one to look after them.
Frequently they rely almost entirely on the Old Age Pension for sustenance.
Gradually growing feebler with the passage of time, they
eventually become unable properly to care for themselves or their homes.
Although every means of persuasion is tried, these cases usually decline
to enter a Poor Law Institution and the condition often persists for a
lengthened period. Fortunately, this problem has now been met by
legislation. Under the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, it is possible
to arrange for the removal of such cases to a suitable institution.