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basements and other overcrowded rooms. A constant check on the empty rooms and repeated visits
to families were necessary.
There were, however, some difficulties. For various reasons many families were loath to leave
basements, particularly those occupying rooms at a comparatively low rental and not willing or able
to pay a higher rent for upper rooms. Owners and agents were, naturally, asking as high a rent as
possible and many families were refused accommodation because they could not pay the required rent.
It is provided by Section 8 (4) of the Housing Act, 1930, that if action taken by a local authority
results in the removal of a tenant from a controlled house, such a house remains controlled. Owners
generally either did not know or did not observe this provision, and the tendency was for the landlord,
where a tenant was rehoused by the council, to raise the rent of the rooms vacated. The Housing
Act does not give the council authority to take any steps in such cases, but the inspector frequently
pointed out the provision of this section to owners and tenants, and some of these difficulties were
overcome.
It will be seen that, whilst the representatives of the various housing associations and the council's
housing managers were engaged in the removal of families recommended for the new flats, the
council's housing inspectors were concentrating on the rehousing of families within the area in the
rooms becoming vacant. Where housing managers experienced unreasonable refusals, the inspectors
brought pressure to bear by the service of notices, with the result that many such families either
applied to the council for accommodation or found other rooms for themselves. Some families were
regarded by the housing managers as unsuitable for their flats, and such cases reverted to the housing
inspectors to rehouse within the area.
Difficulty was experienced at one time in obtaining sufficient families living in basement and
overcrowded conditions suitable for the new flats, and consequently applications were considered
from other tenants living in the areas in order that their vacant rooms might be used for basement
and overcrowded tenants.
In a few instances families persistently refused to vacate basement rooms after alternative
accommodation had been offered, and it was necessary to take legal proceedings to secure compliance
with the closing orders.
Great care was taken in the rehousing work to adopt what might be called a process of " filteringup."
Families were moved direct from the area to new houses only when it was felt that they would
be suitable tenants ; in other cases, they were removed to rooms in old houses owned by the borough
council and the allied housing associations which had become vacant on the transfer of suitable
tenants to the new flats. In other words, families were given the kind of accommodation which seemed
to be most suitable for them.
One of the chief troubles experienced by the managers and the inspectors was the very difficult
families with a low standard of living, who said that they could not find any accommodation for
themselves, and whom no landlord would take. Some of these families, as a result of pressure from
the inspectors and the owners, eventually moved away, and some were taken by the housing managers.
The entire work of rehousing was virtually completed by the end of the year.
In addition to the 474 families scheduled for displacement, the housing inspectors dealt with a
number of families occupying basement rooms together with upper rooms, who could be satisfactorily
accommodated in the latter. These were therefore not recommended for rehousing ; in many cases
they were unwilling to vacate the basements, and notices had to be served before they complied with
the closing orders.