London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Willesden 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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114
Houses required to abate overcrowding.
In order to estimate the net amount of accommodation required to abate the overcrowding, it is
desirable to group the families found to be overcrowded according to the size of the families.
Group 1.
Overcrowding was found to be greatest in families consisting of from 3½ persons to 7 persons, as 'follows :—
| Size of family. | Number of families overcrowded. |
|---|---|
| 3½ persons | 210 |
| 4 ,, | 225 |
| 4 ½ ,, | 92 |
| 5 ,, | 138 |
| 5 ½ ,, | 242 |
| 6 ,, | 281 |
| 6½ „ | 115 |
| 7 ,, | 118 |
| Total 1,421 |
As 1,421 of the total of 1,845 overcrowded families are in this group, it is apparent that the bulk
of new accommodation required must be provided for this group.
A large percentage of the families in this group are at present living in tenement houses in
circumstances where the removal of one family will permit the remaining families to " spread out "
and it is probable that if new accommodation is provided for one half of the total number, or 710, the
abatement of overcrowding will be possible for the whole number.
For this group then it would appear that the Council will require to provide new accommodation
for 710 families in houses or flats with 3 to 5 rooms (excluding the scullery).
The standard of re-housing accommodation laid down in Section 37 of the Housing Act, 1930,
is as follows :—
4 persons 2 bedrooms.
5 ,, 3 ,,
7
I 4 ,,
The following provision of new houses would, therefore, be required for this group :—
217—2-bedroom houses for families of 3½ or 4 persons.
115—3 ,, ,, ,, ,, 4½ or 5 persons.
378—4 ,, „ „ ,, 5½, 6, 64 or 7 persons.
710
Group 2.
This group consists of families containing from persons to 10 persons. Overcrowding was found to exist in this group as follows :—
| Size of family. | Number of families overcrowded. |
|---|---|
| 7½persons | 73 |
| 8 ,, | 90 |
| 8½ „ | 35 |
| 9 ,, | 27 |
| 9 ½ ,, | 7 |
| 10 | 13 |
| Total 245 |
The families in this group mainly occupy structurally separate houses or flats and their removal
from this accommodation will rarely permit of de-crowding of families in the same house. Nevertheless,
the premises they vacate will form an outlet for the abatement of overcrowding at present existing
in families of smaller dimensions.
In all the circumstances it would appear desirable that the Council should build accommodation
for these 245 overcrowded families. The housing standard laid down in the Housing Act, 1930,
does not provide for families of the size contained in this group, but houses with 4 or 5 bedrooms would
generally give them the necessary accommodation. On this basis the following houses would be
required :—
163—4-bedroom houses for families of 7½ or 8 persons.
82—5 „ „ „ „ 8½, 9, 9½, or 10 persons.
245