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92
Hampstead of houses at a suitable rent for the working classes it has
only too often been impossible for your staff to obtain abatement of
the overcrowding.
Since 1930, 126 cases of illegal overcrowding and 102 cases of
improper mixing of sexes have been reported to the Public Health
Committee. At the end of the year 1932 a special inspection of these
cases was made and it was found that 97 of the cases of illegal overcrowding
had been abated—in 29 cases the families had secured
accommodation elsewhere, and in 68 cases there had been rearrangement
of the sleeping accommodation. The remaining 29 cases are
impossible of abatement by any rearrangement, and of the 68 cases
rearranged, many of these have found it necessary to make use of a
combined kitchen and living room to put younger children in for sleeping
purposes, an arrangement which is far from satisfactory and
caused directly by the lack of suitable accommodation for the working
classes.
In addition to the " illegal " overcrowding there are numerous
cases of serious overcrowding which it is impossible to eradicate. It
must be remembered that the amount of cubic air space required by
the bye-laws is as follows and it will be at once realized the extreme
degree of overcrowding which can obtain before it can be defined as
" illegal."
Adults.
Cubic feet.
Children
under 10.
Cubic feet.
Controlled Houses.
Living and sleeping 400 200
Sleeping only 300 150
Decontrolled Houses.
Living and sleeping or sleeping
only 400 300
The following case is a typical instance of how cases of " illegal "
overcrowding have been abated by re-arrangement, yet serious overcrowding
still obtains.
Family of 11 people occupy two rooms (one daughter is
stated to be sleeping out, but only a night inspection could prove
this).