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HOUSING
Preferential Rehousing on Medical Grounds
During the year, 1537 applications for rehousing on medical grounds were
referred by the Housing Manager for assessment, but 15 persons only
were actually rehoused. The majority of the applications received are based
on very flimsy grounds, but all receive individual attention by the Principal
Medical Officer who personally checks each case.

House-to-House Survey
House-to-house surveys were continued throughout the year to deal with general
housing defects, nuisances, the encouragement of Improvement Grant
Applications and the enforcement of adequate facilities and means of escape
in case of fire in houses in multiple occupation. These visits can be divided
for convenience of presentation between Houses in Multiple Occupation
and initial visits in Study Areas and General Improvement Areas (although,
of course, some of the multi-occupation visits will have occurred in Study
or General Improvement Areas). A further 430 houses in multiple occupation
were surveyed during the year, of which 79 called for action under the
Housing Acts.
40 Direction Orders limiting the density of occupation in multi-occupied
houses were served, and it is likely that this figure will rise during the
coming year.
It will be seen from the figures shown in tabulated form and those under
the heading of ''General Improvement Areas and Study Areas" that the Housing
Act, 1969 has continued to exert an influence on the work of the Department,
In fact, the number of Improvement Grants recommended in declared
General Improvement Areas alone, roughly equals last year's Improvement
Grant figure for Study Areas and General Improvement Areas combined.
It will be noted that the total number of visits to houses in multiple
occupation shows a reduction compared with 1970. However, the number of
initial visits shown in Study and General Improvement Areas (1003) and
consequent remspections is indicative of the changing character of the
work of the Housing Section.
Table - see over
B.2