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Accommodation
provided.
134
population of certain slum areas proposed to.be cleared. The year 1920-21, was marked by the completion
under this scheme, of 44 block dwellings and 326 cottages on the Norbury (106 cottages), Old
Oak (215 cottages) Roehampton (5 cottages) and Tabard-garden (44 block dwellings) estates. Towards
the end of 1919-20, six cottages on the Old Oak estate had been completed under this programme, so the
total number of post-war dwellings had by the end of 1920-21, reached 376.
The pre-war dwellings comprised 6,543 tenements in block dwellings, 3,148 cottages, and 294
cottage flats. The total of all dwellings was at the end of 1920-21, 10,361 dwellings, containing 30,043
rooms, besides 1,874 cubicles in lodging houses affording, all told, accommodation, on the basis of two
persons a room, for 61,431 persons. The actual population at the end of the year was 41,544 persons,
including 1,723 at the lodging-houses, as compared with 39,985 persons on 31st March, 1920.
Financial
results.
In the Housing Accounts for the year 1920-21, prepared by the Comptroller of the Council, full
details are given of the financial results of the Council's housing schemes up to 31st March, 1921, but it
may be apposite to repeat here some of the more important figures. In this connection it is necessary
to preserve a clear distinction between the Non-Assisted schemes promoted before the Housing, Town
Planning, Etc., Act, 1919, and the Assisted schemes promoted under that Act, the assistance taking the
form of an annual subsidy from Government sufficient to ensure that the annual deficiency on all Council
and metropolitan borough council schemes shall not exceed the produce of a penny rate.
Dealing first with the Non-Assisted schemes, the aggregate capital expenditure on dwellings provided
to 31st March, 1921, was £2,983,169. The financial result of the year's working of all dwellings
provided under the Non-Assisted schemes, after providing for interest and sinking fund charges on the
capital charges, was a deficiency of £6,745, or 2 14 per cent, of the gross rental of £321,988, as compared
with a deficiency for the preceding year of £8,707, or 3.41 per cent, of the gross rental of £255,463. This
deficiency is mainly to be accounted for by the general increase under all heads of working expenses arising
out of post-war conditions and by the fact that, owing to the Rent Restriction Acts, the rents could
not be raised to meet these expenses until a considerable part of the year had elapsed. The interest
and sinking fund charges amounted to £118,238, or 37.6 per cent, of the gross rental. Management
and maintenance cost £198,926, or 63.2 per cent, of the gross rental, including £86,310 (27.4 per cent, of
the gross rental) for rates and taxes.
As regards the 376 dwellings in Assisted schemes occupied during the year, the financial result,
after providing for interest and sinkingfund charges, was a deficiency of £2,055 or 28*1 per cent of the gross
rental of £7,322, this deficiency being attributable to the necessity of charging rents within the reach of
the working classes. The interest and sinking fund charges amounted to £5,871, or 80.2 per cent, of the
gross rental, and the expenditure on management and maintenance was £3,478, or 47.5 per cent, of the
gross rental, including £1,273 (17 .4 per cent, of the gross rental) for rates and taxes.
Bent Restrictions
Acts.
Under the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (War Restrictions) Act, 1915, the additional
rates which the Council had to pay in respect of the dwellings were added to the rents payable by the
tenants, while, in accordance with the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1920,
the rents have, as from September, 1920, been further increased by 30 per cent, of the net rents of 1914.
The amount paid in respect of rates on the dwellings was about £52,457 in 1919-20 and about £80,203
in 1920-21. The amount produced by the 30 per cent, increase in 1920-21 was about £27,020, the increases
amounting to about £962 a week or about £50,030 for a full year. No difficulty has been
experienced in the collection of the increased amounts. The rent paid in respect of the new dwellings
brought into occupation in 1920-21, amounted to £7,322. These factors account for the increase
in the gross rental for 1920-21, which was about £321,988 as compared with about £255,463 in 1919-20.
Removals,
empties,
transfers,
rents irrecoverable,
etc.
During the year 1920-21, 326 tenants left the dwellings. This is equivalent to 3.14 per cent, of
the number of tenements, as compared with 3 63 in 1919-20. Of the 326 tenants, 7 were given notice
to quit, either for non-payment of rent, disorderly conduct or some other cause. The remaining 319
gave notice and left to suit their own convenience. The loss by empties during 1920-21, was 0.57
per cent, of the gross rental, as compared with 0.45 per cent, in 1919-20. The empties occurred as usual
mainlv in Carrington House; elsewhere the percentage of loss was only 0 02.
Applications
for
accommodation.
In 1920-21, 10,151 applications for accommodation on the estates (excluding lodging houses)
were received, and 300 transfers were effected. These transfers are sometimes to a different estate,
owing to the tenant having changed his place of work, and sometimes to a larger or smaller tenement
on the same estate, owing to the increase or decrease of the tenant's family. Out of the applications,
it was possible to suit only 722. During the year it was found necessary, in view of the abnormal conditions,
to close the waiting lists of applicants for accommodation on the Council's completed estates,
except as regards cases of applicants entitled to preferential treatment.
Preference
given to
oertain
applicants.
The basis on which preference is given to certain classes of applicants and the general principles
adopted by the Council in order that full use may be made of all available accommodation have already
been described (see p. 130). Subject to these conditions applications for tenancies are entertained strictly
in the order in which thev are received.
Rent irrecoverable.
Some tenants of dwellings and shops left without paying arrears of rent. Every effort was made
to recover these arrears on vacation, but the amount of £13 1s. 10d., or .004 per cent, (less than 1d. per
£100 of the gross rental) has been included in the accounts as irrecoverable, as compared with £385
8s. 7d., or 0.16 per cent. (3s. 2¼d. per £100) in 1914-15, and £13 7s. 4d. or .005 per cent (1d. per £100)
in 1919-20.
Rehousing.
Owing to war conditions the Council did not during the years 1915-20, rehouse any persons who
had been displaced by its street improvement, clearance and education schemes, although a clearance
was made on the Tabard-street area. During 1920-21, however, the Council rehoused 106 persons, all
of whom had been displaced in consequence of the Tabard-street clearance. The total number rehoused
up to 31st March, 1921, was 1,862 out of a total of 34,734 displaced.