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Because of the devastation caused by the 1939-45 war and the lack of rebuilding
and redevelopment during the war, the provision of housing became acute and means
for the fair allocation of new units of housing as it became available after the war
became an urgent administrative necessity. The systems used by the boroughs for
the allocation of housing varied with each borough. In Metropolitan Deptford the
selection was done by an Allocations Committee who based their priorities mainly
on bedroom deficiency, although other factors were taken into consideration. The
Lewisham Metropolitan Borough adopted a points scheme which was amended
in 1954 and again in 1965 after the London Borough of Lewisham was formed
from the areas of the former Metropolitan boroughs of Deptford and Lewisham.
The present scheme for the allocation of points is operated by the Housing and
Estates Manager and takes into consideration problems of overcrowding, shared
accommodation, lack of facilities, badly situated facilities, separated families, medical
factors, insanitary conditions and time on waiting list, etc. In addition, in 1968 the
Borough Council adopted a new formula for rehousing on special medical grounds
to deal with urgent medical problems. This, a step outside of the points scheme,
caters for those in dire need of rehousing because of the medical problems involved.
Under this scheme applicants can be rehoused directly on the recommendation of
the Medical Officer of Health in consultation with the Housing and Estates Manager,
without their being bound by any of the other rules of residence, etc.
This last addition to the general allocation scheme has benefited residents of
Lewisham who in the ordinary way would have had to wait, in some cases many
years, for their turn under the points scheme.