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67
HOUSING.
Common Lodging Houses.—Under the provisions of the London County Council (General
Powers) Act 1902, these houses are now licensed annually by the County Council. The
change from simple registration, which was practically perpetual, to annual licensing, should
be productive of much good, both by securing that the houses are maintained in good
sanitary condition, and by enabling persons who conduct their houses improperly to be
deprived of the right to keep such places.
There are 9 houses in the Borough, 7 accommodating 225 men, 1 accommodating
34 women, and 1 for women and married couples (45 lodgers). One case of small-pox
occurred in these houses during the year, the patient being a tramp just arrived from the
country, and one case of enteric fever, this patient also being a recent arrival. Thirteen (13)
deaths of the occupants of the houses were registered, all in institutions, as compared
with 12 in 1902, and 10 in 1901. The causes of death are indicated below—
1901. 1902. 1903.
Tubercular Diseases 3 3 6
Cancer, malignant disease — 1 3
Respiratory Diseases 4 1 3
Other causes 4* 9† l‡
* Including " Diarrhoea " 1 death. † Including 3 from " heart disease."
‡ Whooping-cough.
Housing of the Working Classes Acts.—The negotiations with regard to a site for the
erection of houses under these Acts, alluded to in the Report for 1902, have been continued
during the year, and plans for erection of such dwellings have been prepared but not yet
approved.
The " Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1903," gives effect to the recommendations
contained in the Report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons, so far as concerns
the period of repayment of loans, which is now any term not exceeding 80 years (instead of
60) for any purposes under the Acts, and to the Report of the Joint Committee (Lords and
Commons) dealing with the re-housing of persons displaced under any scheme involving the
compulsory acquisition of lands occupied by such persons. The duty of providing substituted
accommodation is imposed on local authorities as well as private undertakings. (Secs. 3 and
16, and Schedule of the Act.)
Among the various provisions of the Act, those of Sec. 8 will probably prove the most
useful. Under the Act of 1890 (Sec. 32), when a house was condemned as unfit for habitation,
it was necessary to serve notice on the owner requiring him to put the place into
habitable state, and, on his failure to do so, proceedings could be taken to close the premises.
Not only was much time lost by this procedure, but certain owners made it a habit to patch
up houses to an extent which made it difficult to secure condemnation by the Court,
although the houses were not (even after the patching) really fit for habitation. By Sec. 8 of
last year's Act the notice is no longer required, and the authority is empowered to institute
process to close the house as soon as it is, in their opinion, "not reasonably capable of being
made fit for habitation." Moreover, if the cost of demolition of such house exceeds the sum
obtained by the sale of the old materials, the balance can be recovered from the owner as a
civil debt (Sec. 9). A simpler procedure is also provided for getting the tenants out of a
house which has been condemned (Sec. 10).
By Sec. 12 of the Act a local authority is empowered to build business premises in
connection with houses erected under the Acts.* Under Sec. 75 of the Act of 1890, the
letting of a house, or part of a house, of a rateable value not exceeding £20, imnlied a
condition that the premises were " in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation. ' This
* The Housing of the Working Classes Acts, 1890-1903.