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(2) (a) Holding shortage. There is a chronic condition of housing shortage in St. Pancras
associated with the occupation by more than one family, and the consequent overcrowding
of most of the houses in the Borough. This condition has been
aggravated since the war and at the end of 1920 there were practically no
tenements to let, though there was a considerable demand for houses. Some
indication of the demand is indicated by the fact that there were 823 names on
the waiting lists of applicants for the houses which the Council were building.
(b) Measurei taken or contemplated, tot relieve this shortage. —No private building of
dwelling houses was in progress during the year. In regard to the Council's
building programme see page 78.
II.—Overcrowding.
(1), (2) and. (3) Extent, causes, and measures taken or contemplated.—Details in regard
to these points were given in last year's Annual Report.
(4) In 32 instances in 1920 intimation notices were served in regard to the overcrowding
in dwelling houses. Most of these were complied with, but in no cases were
proceedings taken. It was found to be very difficult and even impossible in some cases to
secure compliance with such notices by reason of the inability of the tenants to find additional
or alternative accommodation. In view of this many cases of overcrowding were observed
by the Sanitary Inspectors without any action being taken beyond a verbal recommendation
to seek more rooms. A similar difficulty was found in dealing with the illegal occupation of
underground rooms for sleeping purposes.
III.—Fitness of Houses.
(1) (a) and (b) The general standard of housing in the Borough is indicated under the
headings I and II above, and in greater detail in last year's Annual Report. The structural
defects are mainly those resulting from the letting of houses to more than one family, without
the necessary sanitary and other provisions having been made. Amongst these are the
occupation of unwholesome underground rooms, which has greatly increased since the war.
A large number of houses also are in a condition of disrepair, and need a great deal of money
to be spent on them to rtmedy dilapidations, apart from structural alterations.
(c) How far defects are due to the lack of proper management and supervision by owners.
It is very difficult to apportion the responsibility for the bad conditions existing in so many
tenement houses. It would seem that the prime responsibility rested with the persons who
originally allowed the houses to be occupied by more than one family without proper structural
accommodation being provided; that, however, occurred many years ago in most districts,
though the process is still proceeding in certain parts of the Borough. The houses having
been sublet in this way, a very great deal of damage has been done in many cases by reason
of the carelessness or active destructiveness of the tenants or sub-tenants, and it is difficult to
blame the owners for this. At the same time a comparison of the houses occupied by "good"
and "bad" owners (from this point of view) shows clearly that by good management and
supervision the houses can be to a great extent protected from deterioration through the habits
of the tenants. It must be admitted, however, that a great part of this management consists
in letting the houses only to "good" tenants and excluding "bad" tenants, and this must
simply force the "bad" tenants into other people's houses. The dilapidated state of the
houses of many owners is due to their refusal to spend the money necessary to remedy the
defects which are legitimately due to the age and overcrowding of the property. It would
undoubtedly make for improvement if all tenement houses were managed and supervised by