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housing. 27
Of the 17,153 buildings containing dwellings 435 were occupied by non-private families (comprising
12,910 persons).* The remaining 16,718 buildings contained 20,371 structurally separate
dwellings, with a total of 151,813 rooms. Of those dwellings 938 (containing 5,542 rooms) were vacant
on the night of the census, and 153 were occupied by caretakers. Including the latter, there were
19,433 dwellings (146,271 rooms) in occupation, 11,051 of the dwellings being occupied by one family,
2,609 by two families, and 5,773 by three or more families.
Classes of Dwellings.—Five classes, or groups, are shown in the Report:—
i.—Undivided Private Houses : Total number, 12,797 ; housing 108,012 persons. The 12,579f houses occupied
by private families contained 113,087 rooms.
ii.—Structurally Divided Private Houses : Total, 442, housing 3,569 persons. The 441 occupied by private
families contained 6,394 rooms in 1,349 dwellings.
iii.—Blocks of Flats : Total, 322, housing 7,717 persons. The 310 blocks occupied by private families contained
15,254 rooms in 3,055 dwellings.
IV.—Shops:Total, 1,887, housing 10,321 persons. The 1,873 occupied by private families contained 11,220
rooms.
V.—"Others": Total, 1,705 buildings, housing 14,642 persons. Of this group 1,515 buildings were occupied
by private families and contained 5,858 rooms.
The last group included (amongst others) 110 "hotels," (3,722 inhabitants) and 29 institutions
(2,096 inhabitants).
Size of Dwelling. (Table XVII.).—Of the 19,433 separate dwellings occupied by private families,
1,928 (10 per cent.) contained 1-3 rooms, and were occupied by 1,997 families; 4,544 (23 per cent.)
contained 4-5 rooms, and were occupied by 5,343 families ; 6,254 (32 per cent.) contained 6-8 rooms,
and were occupied by 13,091 families ; and 6,707 (35 per cent.) contained 9 or more rooms, and were
occupied by 17,889 families.
Examination of the returns of rooms occupied by private families shows that there has been
since 1911—comparison with earlier figures are uncertain—a concentration of population in homes
with small numbers of rooms. In Table XVII. the percentage distributions of (a) homes of different
sizes, and (b) of the population therein as enumerated in 1911 and 1921 are set out. The reductions
in the proportions both of homes of 6 and more rooms and of the population therein, are striking.
The increases in the cases of homes of one and two rooms are comparatively small. Nearly half the
private families and half the population in private families were housed in homes of 3-5 rooms at the
last census.
The increase, both absolute and proportional, in the occupation of small homes is clearly shown
by the figures set out below, which summarise the data published in the last four Census Reports.
PARISH OF PADDINGTON.
1891—Inhabited houses, 14,473 ; total homes, 27,201 ; homes of 1-4 rooms, 17,208.
Average number of homes per house 1.87
Ratio of homes of less than five rooms to all homes (per cent.) 63.2
BOROUGH OF PADDINGTON.
1901—Inhabited houses, 17,684 ; total homes, 33,661 ; homes of 1-4 rooms, 21,815.
Average number of homes per house 1.90
Ratio of homes of less than five rooms to all homes (per cent.) 64.8
1911—Inhabited houses, 16,886; total homes, 33,048; homes 1-4 rooms, 23,224.
Average number of homes per house 1.95
Ratio of homes of less than five rooms to all homes (per cent.) 70.2
1921—Inhabited houses, 16,718; total homes, 38,320; homes 1-4 rooms, 29,516.
Average number of homes per house 2.29
Ratio of homes of less than five rooms to all homes (per cent.) 77.0
Although there has been an increase in the proportion of small homes, there has been a decrease
in the density per room. The reductions in the average numbers of persons per room in homes of less
than five rooms—in all homes of each class and in "crowded"‡ homes—are shown in Table XVII.
For homes of five or more rooms the data do not exist prior to 1911. The averages for homes of five
rooms are: 1911, 0.9 persons, 1921, 0.8; for those of 6-7 rooms, 1911, 0.7, 1921, 0.6; for those of
8-9 rooms, on both occasions, 0.6; and for those of 10 or more rooms, on both occasions, 0.5. The
changes are not great in any instance, but they are in the right direction.
Institutions.—In the Reports of every census prior to that of 1921 particulars have been included
of the number of persons enumerated in each institution. The last Report gives no more than the
numbers in certain of the institutions in the Borough, viz., 16 out of the 29 mentioned in the principal
table of housing. The 16 institutions specified are:—Casual Wards, 1, total population 58 persons,
of whom 53 (males 51, females 2) were inmates; Poor Law Infirmary, 1, total population 551 persons,
*It is to be regretted that the numbers of the persons in non-private families occupying the different classcs of
buildings are not given, and that the analysis of the last group (" Others ") is incomplete.
† The difference between the total number and the number occupied by private families shows the number
of each class of dwelling occupied by non-private families.
‡"Crowded" homes are those in which the average number of occupants exceeds 2 persons per room. It has
to be remembered that all calculations of averages are irrespective of the sizes of the rooms and afford no reliable
estimate of genuine overcrowding.