View report page

7
There was an increase in the number of complaints of
insanitary conditions, etc., received during the year. These
totalled 829.
During the year 721 registered tenement houses were
inspected, and the need for the supervision of this class of
property may be gauged by a study of the list of defects discovered,
as set out in the Table on page 64. With regard to
decontrolled tenement houses, additional work is placed upon the
sanitary staff owing to the requirements of separate water-closet
accommodation, sinks, etc., for each family. The maisonetting
of houses continues in the Borough, and this involves the careful
and detailed supervision of this Department.
Limited progress has been made with Underground Room
occupation. However, plans have been made with a view to
tackling during the next few years this serious and important
problem which confronts the Borough.
5. Housing.
Considerable attention has been directed throughout the year
to the housing of the working classes.
The Hampstead "Westcroft" Estate of 290 dwellings was
opened on the 29th October by H.R.H. The Duke of Kent. In
all, 876 applications were received for accommodation at this
Estate, but, apart from those displaced by schemes under the
Housing Act, 1930, dwellings were allocated only to those with
young families and with incomes not exceeding £3 10s. per week.
A statement showing the steps which were taken in 1935 in
connection with premises represented in 1935 or previous years
may be seen on referring to the Housing Section.
Section 1 of the Housing Act, 1935, required every local
authority to make an inspection of its district with a view to
ascertaining what dwelling houses were overcrowded on the
standard laid down in the Act, and to prepare and submit to the
Minister of Health a report showing the result of the inspection
and the number of new houses required in order to abate the
overcrowding disclosed. To this end a temporary staff,