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 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington & Chelsea Borough]
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persons in urgent need through circumstances which could not reasonably
have been foreseen. Emergency provision is also made for victims of
fire or flood, whilst they are temporarily homeless. The premises in
use for homeless families are as follows:-
144/148 Earls Court Road, S.W.5. 18 family units available
for use up to April, 1969
68 Holland Road, W.14. 8 family units
16/18 Wrights Lane, W.8. 17 family units
+ 68 Oxford Gardens, W.10. 3 family units
+ 228 Lancaster Road, Well. 5 family units
+ 84/90 Princedale Road, W.11. 11 family units
+ 32 Dawson Place, W.2. 7 family units
Trenmar Lodge, Trenmar Gardens, N.W.10. 5 family units
Owing to the closure of Lorrimore Square in October, 1966, the
premises marked +were taken into use during 1967 and the following
properties will be ready for occupation in 1968:-
201 Ladbroke Grove, W.10. 5 family units
210 Ladbroke Grove, W.10. 5 family units
Family casework is maintained at an intensive level in order to
ensure that families are not evicted or for those already in temporary
accommodation that they should be more speedily rehabilitated in
preparation for eventual re-housing. In this way a reasonable flow
is maintained of families moving in and out of temporary accommodation.
The following statistics show the number of families received into and discharged from temporary accommodation during the years -
| Number of families in temporary accommodation as at 1.1.67 | 45(56) |
| Number of families admitted (comprising 30 men, 56 women and136 children) | 56(78) |
| Number of families discharged | 46 (89) |
| Number of families remaining as at 31.12.67 | 55(45) |
The reasons for homelessness were as follows:-
| Rent arrears | 10(16) |
| Unauthorised occupants | 15(23) |
| Overcrowding | 4(7) |
| Family disputes | 4(11) |
| Fire victims | 4(8) |
| Essential repairs | 2) |
| Demolition | 2)(4) |
| Dangerous structures | 2) |
| Other reasons (including landlord wanted accommodation, service contract ended and from hotel accommodation) | 13(9) |
Of the forty-six families discharged, seventeen were re-housed by
nomination by the Greater London Council, nine were re-housed by the
Council, eight were assisted to find accommodation and twelve found
their own accommodation.
Family caseworkers are engaged in supporting families who find
themselves perhaps for the first time in the relatively close living
conditions of temporary accommodation.