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
Greenwich 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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65
SECTION D
Housing
Many times in previous Reports the importance of reasonable
housing conditions in the field of preventive medicine has been
stressed, as have the various factors which militate to impede
efforts to improve the present situation.
There is one aspect of the problem which has not received as
much publicity as it warrants, and that is the underlying reasons for
the housing shortage as opposed to actual housing conditions.
Part of the answer is provided by the 1951 Census, according
to which, the number of rooms is in excess of the number of people ;
indeed, there were 1.37 rooms per person. From this it would
appear the accommodation is there but that the population does not
fit tidily into the available space. Nevertheless, the Census reveals
also that households outnumber dwellings to fhe extent of almost
1J millions. Four reasons spring to mind for this increase : they are
(1) ageing population, (2) smaller families, (3) a trend towards
earlier marriages, (4) better living standards.
With regard to marriages, the following table compares the number of dwellings erected in the Borough since 1945 with the marriages solemnised during the same period :—
| New units of accommodation erected since 1945 up to :— | Marriages since 1945 | Difference between (a) and (b) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31st Dec. 1946 | 517 | 776 | 259 |
| „ „ 1947 | 1,052 | 1,552 | 500 |
| .. „ 1948 | 2,061 | 2,363 | 302 |
| „ „ 1949 | 2,578 | 3,048 | 470 |
| „ „ 1950 | 2,704 | 3,700 | 996 |
| „ „ 1951 | 3,172 | 4,370 | 1,198 |
| „ „ 1952 | 3,635 | 5,090 | 1,455 |
| „ „ 1953 | 4,017 | 5,869 | 1,852 |
One cannot pretend that this table represents an accurate
picture of the housing position because in fairness it must be said that