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85
Slum Clearance.—In addition to the areas previously agreed
with the L.C.C. as suitable for slum clearance, a site in Maryon
Road was surveyed with a view to an acquisition by the Council
on a voluntary basis. Purchase terms have been agreed and the
legal formalities are awaiting completion.
House Purchase and Housing Acts, 1958 and 1959.—
Improvement Grants.—Section 20 of the Housing Act, 1949, as
modified by Section 16 of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act,
1954, empowering local authorities to make grants to private owners
for improvements and conversions of sums up to £400 or half the
cost, whichever is the less, where the dwellings would provide
satisfactory accommodation for more than 15 years, has now been
replaced by Section 30 of the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act,
1958. These grants are now known as discretionary grants.
During the year 17 grants were so made.
Section 4 of the House Purchase and Housing Act, 1959, introduces
a new system of grants known as standard grants which, if
certain conditions are fulfilled, can be claimed as a right.
Up to the close of the year no such grants had been agreed.
Re-Housing.—
(a) Borough Council.—There were 45 new dwellings provided
by the Council during the year and the number of families housed
and re-housed including transfers, casual voids, etc., amounted to
233. Of this number 2 were in respect of overcrowded cases and
17 families re-housed from outside the Borough.
The Housing Department now has control of 3.688 Councilowned
units of accommodation, an increase of 246 over that of the
previous year.
At the end of the year, in addition to 37 occupied hutments, a
total of 203 properties giving 395 units of accommodation were
requisitioned by the Council in order to provide for persons
rendered homeless as a result of enemy action or who were otherwise
inadequately housed.
(b) London County Council.—During the year ended
31st December, 1959, the L.C.C. had provided alternative accommodation
for a total 319 Greenwich families of which 6 had been
certified as overcrowded cases. Of this figure, 200 were housed on
L.C.C. housing estates outside the Borough. Four families from
outside Greenwich were rehoused in the Borough under the L.C.C.
scheme.
(c) Other.—A further 42 families were rehoused by other
means.