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94
family unit to become divided. More and more young families are
being rehoused away from their parents (doubtless very happily at
first) but this often leads to difficulties when the young housewife
wishes to work to supplement the family income—there is no
grandmother to look after the children. Conversely, the grandmother
has to face a lonelier life and becomes dependent on neighbours,
the local authority or other voluntary organisations.
Perhaps a revision in house or flat design would enable a threegeneration
family to live side-by-side in independent units with a
communicating door normally kept locked, but enabling assistance
to be given either way in case of illness or infirmity. In the event
of the decease of the grandparents their unit could then be incorporated
in that of the younger family to counter the need of additional
accommodation necessary for an increasing family.
In the new designs which would incorporate some form of
sound proofing (a very necessary provision in the noisy world of
today) perhaps an enlargement of the bathroom could provide
facilities for laundry drying during inclement weather.
All-in-all there are great opportunities in local government for
the architect and planner.
Legislation — Requisitioned Houses Act. 1960 — An Act
authorising local authorities, if they find it necessary, to retain
possession of requisitioned property until March 31st, 1961. The
original date for derequisitioning viz. March 31st, 1960 was specified
in Section 1(2) of the Requisitioned Houses and Housing (Amendment)
Act, 1955.
Housing Act, 1957—General.—Shortage of "housing space"
merely adds a further complication to those already besetting housing
authorities in urban areas and slum clearance becomes of paramount
importance in schemes to achieve a higher density to meet
the needs of a growing population with advancing standards of
living.
Bearing in mind the Housing Department's difficulties in
finding resources to re-house tenants from clearance areas, representations
have always been made with due regard to the redevelopment
potential of any site subject to the provision that any
particular family hardship being sustained in an area not scheduled
for early representation could be represented as an individual unfit
dwelling in advance of the respective clearance area. This has
been done on several occasions in respect of L.C.C. areas and a
number of basements have been closed by this Council as opportunity
has arisen.