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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 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 follows :-
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.

The number of cases of overcrowding abated during the year
was sixty-three and, in addition, twenty-two Category 4 cases were also
abated.
Since the war, the Special Sub-Committee have dealt with
one thousand, three hundred and twenty-six cases of overcrowding under
Categories 1, 2 and 3, and no fewer than one thousand and seventy-seven
of these have been abated.
Assessment of Housing Priorities on Medical Grounds
During the year one hundred and fifty-two 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 disability were
determined (frequently necessitating communication with the family doctor
or with the hospital attended.) The premises were inspected in detail
to ascertain the extent and nature of the existing accommodation; the
adequacy of day and sleeping space; the risk of infection; the existence