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it a climatic advantage over the lower levels towards the River
Thames. As the Official Guide to Hornsey puts it, "there is
fresh air all over Hornsey"— a fact which its residents experience
on returning home after the day's work in London.
In addition to its elevation, the undulating or hilly character
of the district is a factor in preventing deterioration. Flat
districts are more prone to decay than hilly districts.
These natural advantages, together with the firm determination
of the Council to preserve the amenities of the Borough
and its high standard of housing, should maintain Hornsey's
position as one of the most favoured residential districts in or
near London.
(2) Sufficiency of Supply of Houses.—The Medical Officer
of Health is requested to discuss the extent of the shortage of
houses, any important changes of population and any special
difficulties in the -way of providing suitable sites for new houses.
The position in Hornsey is that the houses are sufficient for
the area, but insufficient for the population. There are many
more families living in the Borough than its houses were ever
intended to contain, and there are no housing sites available
within the district.
(3) Overcrowding. — The above conditions result in social
overcrowding, that is to say, two, three, four or (in exceptional
cases) five families living in houses originally intended for one
middle-class family. It should, however, be borne in mind that
many of these houses have spacious rooms, well lit and well
ventilated. Further, the average family to-day is very much
smaller m numbers than the average family in the days when
these houses were built.
The minimum cubic space required under the Byelaws with
respect to houses let in lodgings is 360 cubic feet per person
over 10 and 250 cubic feet per person under 10 years of age. As
measured by this standard there is very little legal overcrowding.
Special attention has been given by the sanitary inspectors
to overcrowded dwelling-houses, and a quarterly report under
this heading is submitted to the Health Committee. During
1930 67 houses were found to be overcrowded. In 24 of these
the overcrowding was abated. This work involved 242 visits.
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