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64
Of the 7,772 houses shown above as part of Municipal Housing Schemes, 767
were provided by the Borough of Barking and 7,005 by the London County Council.
(b) Sufficiency of Supply of Houses and Overcrowding.—The census of 1931
revealed that 349 families were living in one room and that of this number 232
families had more than 2 persons in family.
Out of the total of 1,267 families living in two rooms 237 families had 2 or more
persons per room.
Between 1931 and 1934 the Council erected 185 houses to let to persons living
in overcrowded circumstances and 219 houses to rehouse persons from clearance
areas.
In the absence of control over further sub-letting after a sub-tenant has been
moved from an overcrowded house it is considered that the position shown to exist
in 1931 has not been improved.
The Housing Bill now before Parliament will become law during 1935 and it
will then be necessary for the Council (1) to provide new accommodation for
families living in overcrowded circumstances, (2) secure that no further overcrowding
takes place.
In determining the extent of overcrowding it is regretted the survey must
regard the use of living rooms as bedrooms. It would appear that where rooms
are not normally used in the locality as bedrooms or living rooms the Loral
Authority need not include such rooms in assessing the accommodation in any
house.
In my last two reports I have directed attention to the fact that all available
building land in the district will be taken up for rehousing persons from clearance
areas.
The passing of the Housing Act, 1935 will place a further obligation on the
Council to rehouse persons living in overcrowded circumstances.
It is estimated that the number of new houses required for this purpose will
be at least 400.
Hitherto the Council has confined its building operations to the provision of
cottage dwellings as distinct from flat dwellings.