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104
HOUSING.
GENERAL.
Very little happened during 1933 to alter the
somewhat pessimistic estimate of the housing situation
in the borough, which I gave in last year's report.
The facts speak for themselves. With 142 persons
per acre and 1.35 persons per room, Bethnal Green
ranks as the third worst borough in London. It is
difficult to measure with equal precision the condition
and suitability of the housing in the borough, but that
a large part of it is old, worn out or unsuitable, or all
three, is unquestionable. A considerable portion of the
borough has been included in represented insanitary
areas. Small portions of some of these areas have
come under review during the past few years, but the
great bulk of them remains to be dealt with.
OVERCROWDING.
On the census standard of 2 persons per room,
23.6 per cent. of the population of the borough was
overcrowded in 1931. But this figure, like most
averages, obscures some very disagreeable extremes,
and in any case, it does not profess to lay down that
as many as 2 persons per room is consistent with good
hygiene or decency. The census actually recorded 105
families of from 6 to 10 persons, living in 1 room, to
say nothing of 130 families of 5 persons, 284 families
of 4 persons and 579 families of 3 persons also living
in 1 room tenements. Such disgraceful figures might
be multiplied by examining some of those for the
"larger" tenements of 2 or more rooms, for example,
the 2 families of 13 persons each occupying 2 rooms.
Eighteen particularly bad cases of overcrowding
were reported to the Public Health Committee
during the year, but these of course are only
those of which we have been forced to take cognizance.
The additional and better accommodation provided by
the Borough Council and L.C.C. has done a little to