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50
HOUSING.
(1) I. General Housing Conditions.—The housing question is the
most important one in the Borough at the present time. The population
is too large for the Borough to accommodate, and it still increases. The
houses are getting worn out in many parts of the area and are almost
without exception let out to members of more than one family.
In other parts of the district the houses are of newer and better
type, but still sub-letting is the rule and very few families occupy a
whole house.
(2) The shortage of houses mentioned above cannot be adequately
met by local building as there is practically no land left available for
the purpose. There are a few commercial sites available which might
be used, but even if built on these would go only a small way to relieve
the congestion.
In the northern end of the Borough, particularly, it is necessary for
the workers to be near their work, which is chiefly on the water side,
and housing efforts too far away would be of no benefit to them whatever.
For these casual workers at low wage who cannot afford travelling
expenses and who practically live from hand to mouth (of whom
Sonthwark contains many), suburban schemes are absolutely useless and
houses are required on the neighbouring sites even if those sites have an
enchanced value commercially. Unfortunately those who most need
rehousing are the least able to pay increased rental.
(3) The population is practically stationary. There has been an
increase of 572 persons during the last five years.
II. Overcrowding is universal and the position is acute. Not
only are the houses so packed together that no building sites are
available, but the houses themselves are so overcrowded that it is
almost an impossibility for tenants to get possession of even one room
within the district.
The geographical position, the convenient facilities and the nearness
both to the city and west end combine to make Southwark a very
popular working class district.
The proximity to Billingsgate, the presence of wharves, warehouses,
the Borough Market and the various factories all attract the worker who
wishes to live near his work.