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 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough.
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73
SECTION D
Housing
Since the war, new building in the Borough has been unable to keep pace with the creation of new households, as instanced by the following table:—
| (a) New units of accommodation erected since 1945 up to:— | (b) Marriages since 1945 | (c) 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 |
| „ „ 1954 | 4,088 | 6,640 | 2,552 |
| „ „ 1955 | 4,289 | 7,354 | 3,065 |
| „ „ 1956 | 4,580 | 8,077 | 3,497 |
This is not, strictly speaking, an accurate picture although it
does indicate a general trend and, now that the greater portion of
land available for housing purposes has either been taken or is
already earmarked, under present conditions the position can hardly
improve.
This lack of 'housing space,' especially in urban areas, prompted
government policy to be directed at giving encouragement to local
authorities not only to consider favourably the making of grants to