London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington and Chelsea 1966
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington & Chelsea Borough]
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The shortage of temporary accommodation continues to place greater
emphasis on the need to develop and maintain casework at an intensive
level in order to ensure either that families were not evicted, or, for
those already occupying temporary accommodation, that they became more
speedily eligible for permanent rehousing. This action helped to
maintain a steady flow of vacancies for the newly-homeless.
The following statistics show the number of families received into, and discharged from, temporary accommodation during the year:-
| Number of families in temporary accommodation as at 1.1.66. | 56 |
| Number of families admitted (comprising 40 men, 80 women and 209 children) | 78 |
| Number of families discharged | 89 |
| Number of families remaining as at 31.12.66. | 45 |
The reasons for homelessness were as follows:-
| Rent arrears | 16 |
| Unauthorised occupants | 23 |
| Overcrowding and Public Health Acts | 7 |
| Fire victims | 8 |
| Family disputes | 11 |
| Condemned premises | 4 |
| Other reasons (including from hotel and hostel accommodation, new entrants to London and landlord wanted accommodation) | 9 |
Of the eighty-nine discharges, sixty-three were rehoused by
nomination for housing allocated to this Council by the Greater London
Council, four were rehoused by the Council, two by housing associations,
four were assisted to find accommodation, and sixteen found their own
accommodation.
The casework approach to these families is based principally on
three main conditions:-
(a) Acceptance by the family of their financial responsibility,
e.g., budgeting (in which advice is given as necessary),
payment of arrears of rent, and other debts.
(b) Acceptance by the parents of good standards of child care,
e.g., adequate warm clothing, good food regularly, kindly
discipline, including that required in close living
conditions, good school attendance, medical treatment as
soon as needed, etc.
(c) Acceptance by the husband that he shall seek and retain
employment within his ability. Every encouragement is
afforded and assistance given in finding employment.
The reaction shown by families was encouraging and resulted in
rehousing being effected within a period of twelve months in most cases.
Examples of two such families are as follows:-
(l) Family consisting of man, wife and three children; evicted from
service tenancy after sale of property; unable to find other