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the end of the year was only three.
In nine of the new cases an offence under Section 78 of
the Housing Act. 1957 was committed and the Council decided to
take action against the owners concerned unless the overcrowding
was abated within fourteen days. In each instance Commonwealth
immigrants were involved.
Legal action was not necessary as abatement of the overcrowding
took place within the specified time.
The average number of occupants for each inhabited house
in the district was 3.33, the same as last year, which was the
lowest figure since 1938.
Houses in Multiple Occupation.
By a fortunate coincidence the Housing Act, 1961, containing
powers to deal with the multiple occupation of dwellings
came into force at about the same time that it was discovered
that houses in the District were being occupied in this way.
In February the Council adopted the following standards for
houses occupied by more than one family:-
Natural and Artificial Lighting: Every habitable room shall
be provided with a window or windows opening directly to the
external air and having, where practicable, an area equal to at
least one tenth of the floor area. Adequate means of artificial
lighting shall be available during hours of darkness to every
habitable room, kitchen, scullery, bathroom, water closet,
staircase, landing, corridor and passage, and the means of
operating such lighting shall be readily available to all persons
properly within the said habitable room, kitchen etc.
Ventilation: Adequate means of ventilation shall be provided
and maintained for every room, passage and staircase, water
closet and bathroom. The windows of habitable rooms must be
capable of being opened, where practicable, for an area equal
to one twentieth of the floor area of the room.
Water Supply: a sufficient supply of water direct from the
mains shall be provided to each of the sinks installed in compliance
with the requirements for the storage and preparation
and cooking of food and disposal of waste water mentioned in
the following paragraph.
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