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72
SECTION D
Housing
The greater the population the more extensive are the areas of
land necessary to house it, and as intimated in earlier reports, the
Councils of urban areas are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain
" housing space " in order to accommodate all the families on their
housing lists.
If it is conceded that encroachment on the " green belt " or
upon agricultural land, is to be prohibited, then in urban districts,
the problem resolves itself almost entirely into one of " slum
clearance."
Until recently, in order not to dissipate the available labour
and materials, Government policy has concentrated on the erection
of new houses for families without a separate home of their own.
This year, however, has seen a change in this policy for, in
accordance with Circular 36/54 issued by the Ministry of Housing
and Local Government, every encouragement and consideration is
to be given by local authorities to owners to convert, improve and
modernise existing dwelling houses under the Housing Act, 1949,
as modified by Section 16 of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act,
1954.
A further Circular (50/54) directed that more attention be
afforded to unfit houses and clearance areas in Parts II and III
respectively of the Housing Act, 1936, until proposals made under
Section 1 of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954, have been
approved. In this respect every Metropolitan Borough, jointly
with the London County Council, is required to submit such proposals
to the Minister by the end of August, 1955.
The fact that no progress is made if every new house is cancelled
out by the falling down of an old one has doubtless had its effect in
the formulation of this new policy which now emphasises the need
for preserving and improving existing accommodation.
Households, as revealed by the 1951 Census, outnumber dwellings
to the extent of 1J millions due in the main to ageing population,
smaller families, better living conditions and perhaps to earlier
marriages.
That new building has been unable to keep pace with
the creation of new households in this Borough is exemplified in
the following table which compares the number of dwellings erected
in the Borough since 1945 with the marriages solemnised during
the same period :—