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HOUSING.
The district is still suffering from lack of Housing
Accommodation. It is difficult to estimate the shortage,
but I understand that there are some GOO applicants for
either the Council Houses on the Welling Estate, which
have now been occupied from 3½ to 5 years, or the 100
houses that the Council contemplate building in the
Christchurch and St. Mary's Wards.
There is every reason to believe that overcrowdingdoes
exist and to a large extent, but in the absence of
housing accommodation, it is impossible to find a solution
to this problem.
The Council have had Statutory Notices on the
occupiers of one particular premises for the whole of
the twelve months covered by this report, but at the end
of the year the overcrowding therein had not been
abated.
As regards fitness of houses I consider Bexley compares
very favourably with surrounding areas. Where
defects are found they are due chiefly externally to
dampness, either through absence or perished damp
courses, defective pointing, or defective roofs.
With regard to internal defects, such as defective
floors, plaster on walls, etc., it is very difficult to say
whether this is due to lack of supervision by owners or
carelessness on the part of the tenants.
Many houses which were originally built for the
use of one family are occupied by two or more families
and the wear and tear is consequently greater owing to
this fact.
HOUSING STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 1925.
Number of new houses erected during the year:—
a. Total (including nos. given separately under
b) 128
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