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SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES
HOUSING AND HEALTH
Housing in relation to health has been a major problem for many
years and may be expected to grow even worse if existing properties
are allowed to become more dilapidated and essential repairs continue
to be neglected. The problem too of the "absentee landlord" must be
faced and an effort made to deal with it on a national basis. Local
authorities in the meantime are having to work with out-of-date legislation
designed to meet conditions quite different from those applying
today. In my last report I referred to some effects of difficult housing
conditions on health; many instances of friction between tenants are
being met by the Health Department.
That more houses and flats are required is accepted, but it is also a
fact that many units of accommodation are being allowed to deteriorate
because rents are too low to cover the present maintenance costs. This,
again, is a problem which cannot be solved at local level and the Health
Department is much concerned with the low standard of housing in
parts of the Borough and the difficulty of deciding what is the standard
to be accepted as fit for habitation.
In every district there are houses which, though structurally sound
are without those amentities considered necessary by modern standards.
These houses are however, reasonably fit for habitation and will form
a large part of the available housing accommodation for some years to
come. It should be possible to achieve the same standard of fitness in
this type of property as the Minister has specified for a dwelling in
respect of which financial assistance can be given for the conversion or
improvement of a dwelling under the Housing Act, 1949.
This standard is contained in the report of the Standards of Fitness
for Habitation Sub-Committee of the Central Housing Advisory
Committee and is as follows:—
The dwelling must:—
(i) be in all respects dry:
(ii) be in a good state of repair:
(iii) have each room properly lighted and ventilated:
(iv) have an adequate supply of wholesome water laid on for all
purposes inside the dwelling:
(v) be provided with efficient and adequate means of supplying
hot water for domestic purposes:
(vi) have an internal or otherwise readily accessible water-closet :
(vii) have a fixed bath, preferably in a separate room:
(viii) be provided with a sink or sinks with suitable arrangements for
the disposal of waste water:
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