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giving of Directions to Prevent or Reduce Overcrowding in accordance
with Section 19 of the Act. The effect of this is that vacancies
occurring on persons leaving the property cannot be filled until the
number of residents is reduced to the specified limit. The hardship
of immediate eviction is avoided, as is also the evil of perpetuating
overcrowding.
The attention of all the large land owners and estate agents in
Hampstead and surrounding areas has been drawn to the main provisions
of the Act regarding both houses in multiple occupation and improvement
grant facilities. They have also been sent a copy of the Code
of Practice previously referred to and which I set out in full for the
benefit of those concerned: -
"Housing Act, 1961 - Section 15
Works to be executed to houses in multiple occupation
Code of Practice adopted by the Council
1. - NATURAL LIGHTING
(a) Every habitable room shall be provided and maintained
with a window or windows opening directly to the external air,
capable of being opened to at least one-half of the extent of the
window, and having,where practicable, a total area (exclusive
of the sash frames) equal to at least one-tenth of the floor area
of the room.
(b) In underground (basement) rooms the area of the window,
equal to one-tenth of the floor area of the room, must be above
the point where a line drawn downwards at an angle of 30° to the
horizontal plane, from the highest point of any obstruction
within 10 feet of the window, passes through the window opening,
as required by the Council's Underground Room Regulations.
(c) Wherever practicable every common staircase shall be
provided and maintained with adequate means of natural lighting
and, in the case of the reconstruction in part or entire of an
existing building, or of a new building constructed for multiple
occupation, with a window or windows with a total superficial
area clear of the sash frames of not less than four square feet