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HOUSING WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT
The Housing work undertake in by the Department falls into
two main categories. The Department is called upon to undertake
action under various parts of the Housing Act 1936, in
particular action on individual insanitary houses or parts of
houses, action on groups of unfit houses, and action in the case
of overcrowded dwellings. In addition reports are continually
being called for by the various re-housing authorities, the
principal authorities being the London bounty Council and the
Housing Department of this Council Enquiries are received from
these authorities concerning housing applications in which the
applicants seek special priority on grounds of cither overcrowding,
medical necessity, or sanitary defects in their
accommodation. In each of these cases a visit is made to the
accommodation by the Sanitary Inspector,
Rehousing
Since ray last report there has boon no apparent improvement
in the general shortage of houses mentioned then. There have
been many fresh applications to the various Councils for housing
accommodation, most of which sought some degree of priority
on grounds of either overcrowding, medical necessity, or the
sanitary condition of their accommodation, A great number of
the applications originating from persons living in this Borough
was referred to this Department for investigation, and in all
1450 cases were investigated involving 1814 visits by the
Sanitary Inspectons, In the ma jority of these cases sanitary
defects were found and hose wore deal! with chiefly under the
nuisance sections of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936,, The
majority of the enquiries was made on behalf of the London
County Council, but many "ore for this Council's Housing
Department, and some for other Councils
Cases seeking priority on grounds of medical necessity
presented a great problem, In dealing with them care has boon
taken to ensure that priority has been recommended only in
cases having the greatest need. During the year 205 cases have
been recommended to the London County Council as warranting
preferential consideration, 13C on grounds of tuberculosis,
and 69 for other medical reason. During the same period 103
cases previously recommended on medical grounds were rehoused.
Of these 77 were rehoused by the London County Council, 49'
on grounds of tuberculosis and 88 on other medical greunds.
The remaining 26 cases were rehoused by this Council's Housing
Department, 4 on grounds of tuberculosis and 22 on other
medical grounds.