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HOUSING
Provisioti of Housing Accommodation
The pattern of progress established during 1971 in the Council's efforts to meet
the overall housing demand in the Borough continued to be maintained during the year
under review. This was again mainly attributable to the construction of additional new
dwellings to a total of 388. On 31st December 1971, the Council's housing stock stood
at 15,907 dwellings.
The main Estate, on which construction was partly completed during the year,
was located at West Hendon, whilst further north, on the site of the former Hendon
Aerodrome, the first few dwellings on the new Grahame Park Estate were let before the
end of the year. This is a joint development between Barnet and the Greater London
Council, under which the latter Authority will have right of nomination to 60% of all the
rented dwellings thereon - approximately 1,800 in all - by the time the Estate is completed.
In addition, the Council agreed to accept from the Greater London Council a
quota of 200 nominees during 1971 for rehousing anywhere in the Borough. Both these
agreements symbolized the Council's desire to make a significant contribution to the
housing problems of the more hard pressed Inner London Boroughs, whilst at the same
time rehousing the most needy of its own citizens. In the latter category the number of
tenancies allocated .to applicants on the Council's housing waiting list during 1972
totalled 644, in addition to which 98 families were rehoused from Housing Areas
scheduled for redevelopment in the Council's current programme.
The problem of providing accommodation for families rendered homeless for
various reasons under Court Orders was an ever present theme throughout the year. This
was reflected in the Council's decision to purchase a number of houses located in
various parts of the Borough as an addition to its existing pool of Temporary Accommodation
acquired under the National Assistance Act 1948. During the year the Borough
Housing Officer rehoused from the various units of Temporary Accommodation 24 families
and also allocated tenancies direct to 32 families who had been rendered homeless under
Court Orders and who otherwise would have had to be admitted to welfare accommodation.
The Council continued its policy of assisting as many persons as possible,
mainly the elderly, whom I had recommended be rehoused solely on medical grounds; in
other words, persons whose existing accommodation, though adequate in size and
amenities in the normal course, was likely to cause or aggravate a serious medical
condition. Most of these people required alternative accommodation without stairs, and
during the year it was found possible to deal satisfactorily with no less than 57 such
cases.
I am indebted to the Borough Housing Officer for the above details relative to the
progress made during the year in meeting the demand for Council housing accommodation.
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