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was placed on a list to be visited regularly (not less than once every two months) by an inspector
specially detailed for the purpose. It is contemplated that this close supervision will be exercised
for some years, and the object of this is twofold, namely:—(a) to maintain the satisfactory housing
conditions which have been secured, and (b) to assist the owner in maintaining his house in such
a state that he can expect some reasonable return for the very considerable outlay he has been called
upon to make.
An interesting development of improvement area procedure in the Southam Street area and one
which was not foreseen when the work was originally undertaken was the transfer of houses by sale
from private owners to the improved tenements association. By the middle of May, 1936, this
association owned 96 of the houses in this area, 42 of which had been bought fairly recently.
Crescent Street Improvement Area.
The general and special powers which apply in the Southam Street area also apply in this area.
The declaration was made by the county council on the 24th April, 1934, and the by-laws (for the
abatement of overcrowding and the improvement of the state of habitability) were confirmed by
the Minister of Health on the 25th June, 1934. At the date of declaration the area had a population
of 1,782 in 129 houses.
After the sub-committee had completed their inspections in the Southam Street area, they
commenced similar work in this area.
When the area was declared as an improvement area there were 193 basement rooms in which
were 83 families (299 persons). In upstairs rooms there were 65 families (349 persons) living under
overcrowded conditions. These one hundred and forty-eight families, comprising 648 persons,
were scheduled for displacement.
The securing of satisfactory accommodation for these families was completed as far as possible
early in 1936, and the action taken is summarised below :—
(A) Rehoused Outside the Improvement Area. Families. Persons.
(i) by the council and allied housing associations 26 123
(ii) moved out of the area as a result of action by the housing
inspector 22 70
48 193
A further 18 families of 69 persons not scheduled for displacement were taken out of the
improvement area by the housing managers and the rooms vacated were used to rehouse families
" inside " the area.
(B) Rehoused Inside the Improvement Area. Families. Persons.
(i) rehoused by the improved tenements association 60 256
(ii) rehoused by other private owners by arrangements with the
housing inspector 29 119
89 375
These figures leave to be considered 11 families of 80 persons living in overcrowded rooms which
were scheduled for displacement. Each case has been considered and each family has been given
one or more rooms in addition to their original accommodation, but overcrowding under the
450 cubic feet standard exists. The overcrowding in most of these cases is slight, and, in fact, in
three cases overcrowding under the Housing Act, 1935, standard does not exist. Owing to the
large numbers in these families and their inability to pay the rents required for four and five rooms
it has not yet been able to accommodate them satisfactorily. (The problem of housing
accommodation for large families is dealt with in another part of this report.)
It should be mentioned that the majority of the properties in the Crescent Street improvement
area are in the ownership of the improved tenements association, and of the 148 families scheduled
for displacement 119 were tenants of this association.
All the basement rooms have now been closed and vacated, and it will be seen that all the
families originally scheduled for displacement have now been satisfactorily accommodated with the
exception of the 11 families referred to above ; these will be dealt with as soon as there is suitable
accommodation available.
The time has now arrived when the reconditioning work should be put in hand, but a good deal
of thought has been given to the possibility of introducing in this area the new development area
procedure laid down in the Housing Act, 1935. Until conclusions have been arrived at, it has been
thought wise to postpone the commencement of reconditioning in order to avoid expenditure on
houses which might be demolished in a short time if the new machinery were applied.
In every case in the Southam Street and Crescent Street improvement areas where the council
have offered better accommodation, they have also offered to undertake the removal of the furniture
and to secure its disinfestation en route. It was anticipated originally that there might be cases
where difficulties would arise ; but the service has become very popular, and it is now quite usual
for those who are moving to accommodation not owned by the borough council or the allied housing
associations to ask if they can have their effects disinfested before going to the new home.