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Category 4. As in Category 3, but without
special medical circumstances.
Cases within Categories 1, 2 and 3 have been considered
by a special Sub-Committee of the Public Health Committee
which was established for that purpose. Cases within
Category 4 have not been reported but records have been made
and the families are kept under observation by the sanitary
inspectors who try and secure abatement by persuasion.
By the end of 1951, 842 cases of overcrowding, under
Categories 1, 2 and 3 had been considered, and no fewer than
627 of these had been abated.
Of the remaining 215 cases, 53 have been reduced to
within the Modified Standard and re-classified in Category
4, seven stand adjourned sine die, and in 24 action has been
postponed for varying periods. One hundred and thirty-one
are registered for alternative accommodation and are awaiting
suitable offers from housing authorities.
Details of 88 new cases coming to notice and dealt with
in 1951 by the special Sub-Committee, are as follows:-
(a) Recommended for alternative accommodation
by the Council 50
(b) Proceedings ordered to be taken without
prior offer of alternative accommodation 14
(c) Action postponed 24
The total number of cases of overcrowding abated during
the year was 128.
Hostels
On the 3rd May, 1949, the Council were informed that a
number of hostels existed in the borough occupied mainly by
students or by persons without homes of their own or whose
places of employment are far removed from their homes. Most
of the hostels are under the control of religious or semireligious
bodies, business houses or the Government or
sponsored by the Government.
Whilst the accommodation provided differed widely, these
hostels were generally satisfactory. In a few privatelyowned
establishments, however, conditions left much to be.
desired, particularly in regard to overcrowding and sanitary
arrangements.
Overcrowding is normally dealt with under Part IV of
the Housing Act, 1936, and it was possible that Sections 58
and 59 of that Act applied to these hostels provided they
were occupied or suitable for occupation by persons of the
working classes.
Particular attention was drawn to three unsatisfactory
hostels. Details of twenty-one other hostels were obtained
and although these were generally well-conducted, clean and
quite desirable premises, in every case the number of persons
in occupation exceeded that laid down by Housing Act standards,
and it was common to find four, five or even six or seven
persons sleeping in one room. If the Housing Act standard
of two persons per room were rigidly applied, it was doubtful
whether the hostels would be able to continue in existence,
and many persons would be deprived of accommodation which
they regarded as being quite satisfactory.