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instead of complying with the notice the owner can secure the vacation
of parts of the premises to bring the number of occupants down to the
level at which the local authority will accept the amenities which exist
as being sufficient. Nothing in the Rents Acts is to prevent the gaining
of possession of the house or part necessary for complying with
the notice.
Under Section 12 the local authority may specify the number of
persons who may occupy the rooms in this type of house. This, in
effect, introduces a local overcrowding standard for sleeping
accommodation.
(Note: The Council, at their meeting on the 20th March, 1956,
approved in principle, standards to be applied in dealing with the
above Sections.)
RE-HOUSING ON HEALTH GROUNDS
Applications on which additional priority is claimed on health
grounds are submitted to the Medical Officer of Health for his recommendation
and each case is carefully investigated. This involves in
many instances visiting the home, discussion or correspondence with
the applicant's medical practitioner, or specialist at the hospital.
Only those cases are recommended for additional points in which housing
appears to play a vital part in the ill-health of the applicant or
members of his family. These are given 10 points under the points
scheme; but as a minimum of 51 points is required before a case can
be considered for re-housing by the Committee it may be that health
grounds are not sufficient to affect materially the priorities.
Overcrowding points are separately awarded on the basis of a local
standard which is more generous than the standard of the Housing
Act, 1936. For Hornsey's standard the maximum occupation is 1½
persons per room, and occupation above this scale qualifies for the
award of additional points.
In addition to the cases which qualify for additional points under
the scheme are those where urgency in re-housing need is given special
consideration. During 1955 only one such case was recommended.
Here a suitable dwelling became available and the family was re-housed
in little more than a week after recommendation.
During the year 54 applications referred to the Medical Officer
of Health by the Housing Manager were considered; and in 44 it was
decided that medical factors were sufficient to justify the award.
A summary of these cases is given on next page.
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