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67
The question of overcrowding continues to be a serious one. In
my last Annual Report I stated that, as a result of a special inspection
of the 126 cases of illegal overcrowding found since 1930, there were
still 29 cases remaining unabated. During the year 1933 a further
17 cases were reported by the sanitary inspectors, making the total 46.
No statutory action has been taken during the year in respect of
these cases owing to the impossibility of offering alternative accommodation
until fruition of the Cricklewood Housing Scheme.
In addition to the cases of "illegal overcrowding" there are
numerous cases of serious overcrowding where no improvement can
take place until the supply of houses at moderate rents meets the
demand. It will be realised that an extreme degree of overcrowding
can exist before it can be defined as illegal, having regard to the fact
that the cubic air space required by the Tenement House Bye-laws
is as follows:—
Children
Adults. under 10.
Cubic feet. Cubic feet.
Controlled, Houses.
Living and sleeping 400 200
Sleeping only 300 150
Decontrolled Houses.
Living and sleeping or sleeping
only 400 300
The usual accepted standard of overcrowding is that of "more
than two persons per room," but while the application of this standard
affords some indication of undesirable conditions, it is really a
standard of density measurement and is not an altogether satisfactory
standard of adequate housing conditions.
The standard of re-housing accommodation indicated in Section
37 of the Housing Act, 1930, is as follows:—
2 bedroomed house providing accommodation for 4 persons.
3 „ „ 5 „
4 „ „ 7 „
The number of persons in Hampstead living more than two to a
room at the 1931 Census was 3,253. The average size of private
families (persons) in the Borough was then ascertained to be 3.32.