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HOUSING
In my report for 1960 I stressed the relationship between good
housing and good health. Below is set out a letter from a local
Consultant Physician addressed to the Housing Officer.
"I am sorry to burden you so often with problems about
patients who are sent to me for advice on their medical
conditions, but you may well at times hold in your hands
a greater power to cure their ill health than I have."
Your Council houses are let to applicants on a points code,
and the scheme operated allows me to recommend priority to
those suffering from ill health. Persons who suffer from tuberculosis
are granted the maximum priority and lesser degrees of
priority can be given in respect of persons with other disabilities.
This latter authority is used cautiously because if widely used it
affords relatively less priority to those most needing it.
Mr. Hetherington, Borough Housing Officer, has kindly
supplied the following information:—
Total number of Council dwellings 4,566
Total number of applicants on housing waiting list 2,092
Applications received during 1961 565
Medical Certificates claiming priority submitted to
to the Housing Office during 1961 321
Lettings during 1961—
(a) New houses and flats 207
(b) ) Properties re-let 135
Housing of Aged Persons
The Council have continued their progress of providing for
the housing of old people. Two new blocks comprising 27 bedsitting
room flats have been completed and occupied in Queen
Street and good progress is being made with the conversion and
extension of No. 61 Main Road, which will provide a further 22
bed-sitting room flats.
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