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become overcrowded when a child of the family attains
the age of 10 years, thereby increasing the "Equivalent
Number" by½ This will automatically mean that some
of these houses will become technically overcrowded.
The sub-tenant family still remains a difficulty in
many cases where there is not provided the amenities that
make for a happy home. The adoption of Bye-laws for
Houses let in Lodgings will increase our powers to see
that these facilities are provided. In the 1935 survey no
less than 1,371 families were living as sub-tenants in
houses built with the facilities sufficient only for one
family.
There is another difficulty which the overcrowding
regulations will rather tend to aggravate than to improve,
and that is where the "Permitted Number" exceeds the
"Equivalent Number" by considerable units. This will
encourage the tenant to sub-let up to the permitted
number, and this, in fact, has already occurred, thus
increasing the number of sub-tenants.
Under the Housing Act, 1930, and the corresponding
provisions of the Housing Act, 1936, whereby houses unfit
for habitation are dealt with either by repair or closure to
habitation, considerable progress has been maintained
without our resorting to legal proceedings.
Progress shews that of 60 houses dealt with under
Part II. of the Act (there have been no scheduled
clearance areas) 4 have been rendered fit by the owner
after extensive repairs, 28 have been demolished and 28
closed to human habitation. It is probable that in due
course these 28 will be demolished.
Under routine informal sanitary notices, either under
the Housing Acts, or Public Health Acts, no less than
739 houses have been rendered fit, following on action by
the Department together with helpful co-operation of the
owners.