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As living accommodation they are poor; amenities are deficient, shared sanitary accommodation
and water supplies leave much to be desired, rooms generally are dark and illventilated
whilst general maintenance costs are excessively high. Many such blocks are
fast falling into the slum clearance category and each one will present a serious problem
for the rehousing authority as in most instances the site is unsuitable for redevelopment
and the overspill reaches a very high figure indeed.
(b) The tenement house—The second problem centres around the tenement house; it is
not a new one to the staffs of public health departments in London. The type of house to
which I refer is well known; it is generally three or four storeys in height and often has a
basement storey below street level as well. These, too, are about 90/100 years old and were
originally built for single family occupation. Today, they provide accommodation for a
family on each floor of two or three rooms; the lettings are not self-contained and amenities
are shared.
As in the case of the block tenement dwellings the heavy wear and tear of multiple use
shews in the extent of internal disrepair. Sharing of sanitary accommodation and water
supplies frequently leads to friction between tenants; hot water supplies and baths are
found only in the rarest instances. The multiple occupation, lack of proper means of
escape and the fact that the lower floors are often used for businesses, sometimes with
catering, give rise to an increased risk of fire and dangers to life and health.
In 1953, the last year during which a return was made, there were 45,000 such houses
known to the metropolitan sanitary authorities, of which 9,581 had been inspected during
the year. An intimate knowledge of the county leads one to conclude that this number
of 45,000 has not been reduced but on the contrary has been increased and it may not be
unreasonable to estimate that there are some 50,000 houses in the county in multiple
occupation and which should be brought under closer supervision by the sanitary
authorities.
Prior to 1954, houses of this type were maintained in a reasonable sanitary state by
means of bye-laws but these and the power to make them were repealed by the Housing
Repairs and Rents Act, 1954, which provides that a local authority may by notice require
an owner to provide adequate amenities for the use of the families residing in the house.
As an alternative to compliance with the notice the owner is, however, at liberty to reduce
the number of occupants to accord with the amenities already in existence and to give
effect to such a course any security of tenure under the Rent Acts may be overridden.
These provisions, which are now included in the Housing Act, 1957, do not meet the
needs of London. That the legislation has failed to provide a remedy in this matter is
evidenced by the fact that in the whole of the county during 1959 only eight houses were
made fit for occupation by the number of families accommodated. It is clear that this
situation requires urgent consideration if new clearance areas are not to be created.
Conclusion—The Council has, since 1930, secured the demolition of 28,527 unfit houses
involving the rehousing of more than 134,000 persons. This has been achieved as a result
of phased programmes generally covering five year periods. In a vast conurbation like
London there will be unfit houses for many years to come; houses like many other things
wear out and must be replaced. The legislation provides the machinery and the Council
has unique experience in its operation. At the time of writing a programme of clearance to
cover the quinquennium 1961/65 is in course of preparation for which the final figures
are not yet available, but it is thought that a further 10,000 houses which are unfit for
habitation will be reported upon to the Council with a recommendation that they be
demolished.
Improvement grants
The year 1949 marked an important stage in the housing programme. From the end of
the war, effort had been concentrated primarily on the repair of war damage and the
provision of homes for families who were without separate homes of their own. In England
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