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74
D.—Proceedings under section 20 of the Housing Act, 1930 :
(1) Number of separate tenements or underground rooms in respect
of which Closing Orders were made 21
(2) Number of separate tenements or underground rooms in respect
of which Closing Orders were determined, the tenement or
room having been rendered fit Nil.
Overcrowding.
As I explained in my last Annual Report there were 46 cases of
illegal overcrowding at the end of 1933, which had been reported by
the sanitary inspectors and in regard to which no statutory action had
been taken. During the year 1934, a further 22 cases were found by
the inspectors, making a total of 68, of which number 16 have since
been abated, leaving 52 to be dealt with. It must be appreciated that
" illegal overcrowding " bears no reference to the number of cases of
overcrowding in the generally accepted sense, i.e., families living more
than two persons per room, as, in fact, an extreme degree of over—
crowding 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 :—
Adults. Children under 10.
cub. ft. cub. ft.
Controlled Houses.
Living and sleeping 400 200
Sleeping only 300 150
Decontrolled Houses.
Living and sleeping or sleep—
ing only 400 300
It is hoped that the Westcroft Housing Estate will help to relieve
some of these overcrowded families. In a few cases it is found, upon
enquiry into their financial circumstances, that it is not economic
circumstances which are the cause of the overcrowding, for the incomes
of the wage earners should make it possible for them to acquire other
and better accommodation without State assistance.
The question of overcrowding has been the subject of much consideration
by the Minister of Health during the past year, and a very
far reaching Housing Bill dealing with this subject is now before
Parliament.