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24
Two hundred and seventy.seven houses have been inspected and fully reported upon,
and they may be grouped as follows :—
1. Houses unfit for human habitation. Houses which present the before recited
conditions in an aggravated form are regarded as unfit for human habitation.
Of those inspected, forty.four come within that category. The statistics relating to
them are as follows :—
Number of houses recorded as unfit for human habitation 44
Number of separate tenements in these houses 79
Number of occupants M. F.
Over 10 98 86
Under 10 10 22 Total 216
Number of families in which one or more members work in the City 86
Number of families in which no member works in the City 10
2. Houses rapidly approaching a state of unfitness. These houses, like the already
unfit houses, are old and worn out, and it is due mainly to the fortune of having careful tenants
that they have come to be regarded as being just fit. The remaining life of these houses is
only a short one, and the future period of occupation depends to a great extent on the tenant.
The statistics relating to these houses are as follows :—
Number of houses recorded as rapidly approaching a state of unfitness 44
Number of separate tenements in these houses 58
Number of occupants M. F.
Over 10 58 83
Under 10 13 17 Total 171
Number of families in which one or more members work in the City 52
Number of families in which no member works in the City 6
3. Houses which are let in tenements, but which do not possess the minimum amenities
for the occupants, and which it is known are in the market for sale, and which, further, if the
Rent Restrictions Act were non.operative, would be sold and the tenants required to find other
accommodation. These houses are those which are immediately involved in the commercial
spread, and in a very few years time the majority of them will be non.existent as residences.
The statistics relating to these houses are as follows:—
Number of houses recorded as not possessing the minimum amenities, and which are
for sale or conversion into offices, &c 38
Number of tenements in these houses 68
Number of occupants M. F.
Over 10 64 87
Under 10 18 23 Total 192
Number of families in which one or more members work in the City 56
Number of families in which no member works in the City 11
In addition to the above, your Honourable Court will remember that there are 885
persons resident in the Hutchison Street Insanitary Area. Of these, not less than 200 are
living in houses which at the present time are unfit for human habitation, and also before
this Area can be dealt with it will be necessary to find accommodation for 140 other persons,
otherwise the preliminary demolitions to enable the block of dwellings, already approved,
cannot be commenced, since the houses in which these latter persons reside are unfortunately
not the same as those in which the 200 reside. It is necessary, therefore, that accommodation
be provided for this number of persons now resident in the Hutchison Street Area.
Further, the number of persons living in houses unfit for human habitation in the Vine
Street Area totals seventy.two, and immediate provision is similarly necessary for these persons.
The summary of accommodation required is therefore as follows :—
Number of Persons who reside in the City and for whom Housing Accommodation is
immediately required, or for whom it will be required in the near future.
Total number of persons to be ultimately rehoused in respect of the
Hutchison Street Area 885
Of these—
Number of persons resident in houses now unfit for human habitation 200
Number of persons resident in houses which it is necessary should be demolished
to enable the Hutchison Street Scheme to be proceeded
with, say 140
Number of persons in houses in the Vine Street Area unfit for human
habitation 72
Number of persons resident in houses in the City which are to.day unfit
for human habitation 216
628
In addition to the above, provision will also later require to be made on the Hutchison
Street Area for the following:—
Balance of persons on the Hutchison Street Site not provided for as above
885 — (200 + 140) 545
Number of persons resident in houses which will be unfit for human
habitation when the above work is completed 171
Number of persons who live in houses which will be demolished for
business premises as soon as Rent Restrictions Act is removed, say 192
— 908
Making a total of 1,536