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Houses Unfit for Habitation.—No representations were received or Closing Orders made during
the year. Two Closing Orders made in 1919 were determined upon the completion of the works
necessary to make the houses fit for human habitation.
Underground Rooms.—No rooms were dealt with under the Council's Regulations pursuant to
section 18 of the Housing Act 1925. Action, however, was taken under section 96 of the Public
Health (London) Act 1891, with respect to basement rooms at two houses. At one house the illegal
occupation of the rooms was discontinued, the other case being still outstanding at the close of the
year.
Tenement Houses.—Two houses were added to the Register, making a total of 1406 at the close
of the year. The inspections made by the two Special Inspectors numbered 6,635. Particulars of
the defects, etc. discovered and remedied will be found on pages 38 and 39.
Overcrowding.—Fifteen tenements in registered houses were reported to be overcrowded. In
only three instances was the overcrowding abated before the end of the year, the occupiers of the
remaining twelve tenements being unable to find other accommodation. Owing to existing social
conditions only bad cases of overcrowding are dealt with by official action.
Annual Pleansing.—The usual practice with regard to the selection of special streets for inspection
was followed, a total of 796 houses being inspected during the year. Notices were served for the cleansing
and other work which was found to be necessary.
Common Lodging Houses.—The customary inspection was made by the Sanitary Inspector of
the district of the 5 common lodging houses in Kilburn Lane, prior to the annual licensing by the
London County Council.
During the year one case of pneumonia and 8 deaths from various causes occurred among the occupants
of these houses.
Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Acts 1920-1925.
Five (5) applications were made, four certificates being issued and one deferred (apparently
dropped).
Housing Act: Rent Books.—One rent book was found not to contain the required particulars.
A cautionary letter was addressed to the landlord.
Housing on London County Council Estates.
There still operates the scheme inaugurated in 1924, whereby the London County Council allocates
preferentially up to 15 per 1,000 houses available for letting, to families from this Borough recommended
by the Medical Officer of Health on grounds of overcrowding or other special hardship. Very little
alleviation of conditions accrues apparently, judging by the number of persons interviewed in the
department with housing difficulties. The difficulty has been accentuated hitherto by the fact that
the available Estates have been too distant from the Borough to be accessible from a financial point
of view to residents working in the vicinity of Paddington. At the time of writing the County Council's
Watling Estate at Edgware is becoming available for tenants, and this should prove a boon to this
quarter of the Metropolis. As evidence of this is the fact that over four hundred names of persons
willing to take up accommodation there have been registered in the Public Health Department to
date. These are being passed on to the London County Council—with due regard to priority and
urgency—as and when that Council signifies its willingness to accept further applications.