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HOUSING
HOUSING SURVEY
A complete survey of housing in relation to the replanning of the Borough
was made and a joint report with the Borough Engineer and Surveyor, made to
the Council early in 1960.
The four principal matters which were recommended for early consideration
were:- 1. Areas involving total demolition and clearance of unfit
houses. 2. Accommodation for special classes of physically handicapped.
3. Special accommodation for aged handicapped persons. 4. Serious overcrowding.
Under item 1 twelve areas were defined, five of them being considered
as needing attention during the next five years. These involve 134 houses and
212 families.
The paragraph on accommodation for special classes of physically handicapped
deals with application for re-housing in which priority is desired on
medical grounds. In considering these it has been found in the past that there
are certain applicants who should be given priority over the ordinary housing
waiting list, although they may attract insufficient points to be included on the
"live" list; 48 such cases are referred to. Mention too is made of ten applicants
re-housed "outside the points scheme" during the past ten years. There
is no doubt that this action resulted in prolonging life in some cases, and preventing
the worsening of illness in others.
Special accommodation for aged handicapped persons is an urgent need
in many cases to "set free" those "marooned" on upper floors as a result of
chronic illness or disability.
The 48 aged handicapped known to the department at the time the report
was written were divided into five categories:-
1. Rheumatism and arthritis 16
2. Heart disease 8
3. Chronic respiratory illness (bronchitisetc.) 8
4. Crippling diseases of the nervous system 10
5. Absent, or useless lower limbs 4
Serious overcrowding causing undesirable mixing of the sexes in contravention
of Section 77 (1) of the Housing Act, 1957, results in many cases from
the letting of large houses in single and double room units. Of the 68 such
families who have applied for re-housing, 18 only are on the "live" list.
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