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78
Unfortunately, the early promise which the passing into
law of the 1919 Housing Act foreshadowed, as a powerful
factor in remedying existing unsatisfactory conditions in
regard to housing generally in the Borough, began gradually
to fade away. As the year progressed, it became increasingly
evident that the schema which the Housing Committee
had prepared under the new powers was unlikely to materialise,
at least to anything like the extent which the needs of the
Borough required. The scheme outlined included provision for
the erection of new working-class houses; the scheduling of
groups of insanitary house property as small insanitary areas
for reconstruction or improvement schemes under Section 38
of Part II. of the principal Act, with a view to the gradual
clearance of slum areas; the systematic inspection of
insanitary housing property in the Borough to see that all
seriously defective houses, capable of being repaired, were
made reasonably fit for habitation, and the raising of the less
seriously defective houses to a reasonable standard of fitness
for habitation.
It is to be regretted that the scheme, as originally outlined,
has had to be so curtailed, mainly owing, it is understood
to financial considerations, rendering it impossible for the early
promises made to local authorities capable of fulfilment. The
result has been, so far as Battersea is concerned, that the
activities of the Council in respect to their Housing proposals
have had to be restricted, for the most part, to action under
Section 28 of the 1919 Housing Act and the Public Health Act
dealing with repairs to unfit houses.
Repair of Unfit Houses.
Under the Public Health and Housing Acts the systematic
inspection of dwelling-houses, which had been considerably
interrupted by the war, was actively resumed in 1919, and was
pressed vigorously forward during 1920. The results of these
house inspections were periodically submitted to the Housing
and Health Committees. Seriously defective houses, or
groups of houses, were dealt with by the Housing Committee
under the provisions of the Housing Acts, the less seriously
defective houses being referred to the Health Committee for
action under the nuisance clauses of the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891.
For the most part, seriously insanitary houses were dealt
with under the provisions of Section 28 of the 1919 Act. The
housing shortage, as already stated, rendering it inexpedient
and practically impossible for the Medical Officer of Health