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Certificates of Disrepair
During the year six applications were received for certificates of disrepair.
London Housing Survey
Thissurvey, which wascarried out by the public health inspectors in collaboration with the G.L.C.
Research and Intelligence Unit during the period February to October 1967 formed part of a sample survey
of Greater London housing. Four per cent of all separately rated dwellings were surveyed and in Haringey
this entailed the inspection of 2,950 premises. The information obtained has now been analysed by
computer by the G.L.C. and the statistics produced show amongst other things, the estimated overall
housing conditions in the Borough.
In interpreting the figures in the following tables allowance should be made for possible lack of
accuracy which can arise from a sample survey. It is generally accepted that in the translation of
sample returns the error can be particularly high where the number in a sample is small. It should also
be noted that a separately rated dwelling, which was the unit of survey, could be occupied by one,
two or more separate households.
Theanalysisofthe age and condition of dwellings in the Borough (Table I) indicates that possibly
twenty five thousand of the buildings (one-third) can be classified as in only a fair or poor structural
condition. 1,794 are more than ninety years old and of these 975 are unfit for human habitation or in a
poor structural condition. Over two-thirds of the houses in the Borough (51,167) were built between
1875 and 1919 and in this group a further 3,330 dwellings are classified as unfit or in a structurally
poor condition.
It is estimated that if nothing is done to improve their present condition 3,329 dwellings have a
life of less than seven years and a further 4,088 are unlikely to last for more than fifteen years. This
could mean that for the next 15 years after making allowance for the major repair of some of these
dwellings an average of 400-500 dwellings will require to be replaced each year. Looking further ahead,
the problem is likely to become much greater; it is estimated that, between the years 1983-1992, unless
suitable practicable means are found to check deterioration and ensure continuing adequate maintenance,
18,493 dwellings will reach the end of their useful life, representing a necessary replacement rate of
1,850 per annum.
Approximately two-fifths of all dwellings are owner-occupied, slightly less are tenanted and belong
to private owners and just under one-fifth are owned by the Council or the G.L.C. (Table II). The owneroccupiedgroupcontainsthehighestproportionof
premises in good structural condition and the privately
owned tenanted dwellings contain the greatest proportion in only a fair or poor structural condition.
The number of dwellings owned by the local authorities classified as fair, poor or unfit may largely be
accounted for by the acquisition in advance of requirements of houses in areas scheduled for future
action in the Council's clearance area programme.
Theanalysisof types of dwellings (Table III) discloses that there are 6,392 separately rated flats
which are not self-contained. It is probable that these lack the full and exclusive use of the normal
amenities of bath, water closet, hot water supply etc. This, of course, takes no account of the very
large number of houses which are rated as single units but are let in multiple occupation.
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