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Overcrowding
Since the end of the war, it has been felt that the rigid
enforcement of the overcrowding standards in the Housing Act, 1936,
is impracticable and, therefore, the Public Health Committee approved
a scheme for dealing with the worst cases in the first place. The
Committee adopted a Modified Standard which involved increasing the
"permitted numbers" for a dwelling house by a specific amount according
to the number of rooms. This Standard has been applied throughout,
although minor amendments have been made as a result of experience
gained.
All cases of overcrowding coming to notice have been
classified under four headings as followss:-
Category 1. Overcrowding under the legal
standard where alternative
accommodation has been offered
and refused.
Category 2. Overcrowding in excess of the
Modified Standard.
Category 3. Overcrowding above the legal
standard but within the Modified
Standard, where there are
special medical reasons involved.
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 public health inspectors who try and secure
abatement by persuasion.
Seventy-eight new cases were dealt with in 1956 by the
Special Sub-Committee as follows:-
(a) Recommended for alternative accommodation
by the Council 44
(b) Proceedings ordered to be taken without
prior offer of alternative accommodation 1
(c) Action postponed 24
(d) Warnings sent to abate overcrowding
within specified period 9
The total number of cases of overcrowding abated during the
year was forty-seven and, in addition, twenty-six Category 4 cases
were also abated.
Since the war, the Special Sub-Committee have dealt with
one thousand, two hundred and seventy-seven cases of overcrowding
under Categories 1, 2 and 3, and no fewer than one thousand and
fourteen of these have been abated.
Assessment of Housing Priorities on Medical Grounds
During the year two hundred and twenty-six applications
for re-housing on medical grounds were examined, and recommendations
for the award of additional points were made to the Chief Housing
Officer. In each case the precise medical condition and resultant