View report page

62
Note: These schemes have now been deferred due to restrictions
on capital expenditure imposed by the Government. The St. Pauls
Cray scheme, for example, is now due for loan sanction in 1967/68
and is unlikely to be ready for occupation before 1970.
PROVISION OF TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION
Responsibility of the "Welfare Authority"
21. Section 21(lXb) of the National Assistance Act, 1948, makes
it a duty to provide temporary accommodation for persons who are
in urgent need thereof, being need arising in circumstances which
could not reasonably have been foreseen, or in such other circumstances
as the authority may in any particular case determine.
There are thus two aspects of temporary accommodation in which
the Welfare Services have a responsibility: (a) the statutory obligation
to provide accommodation in cases where the need could
not have been foreseen and (b) the responsibility placed on the
local authority to care for families rendered homeless in foreseeable
circumstances, e.g. eviction following non-payment of rent.
22. In 1963 the Kent County Council prepared a scheme to provide
temporary accommodation for persons rendered homeless by fire,
flood or other peace-time emergency, for each district in the County
area. The scheme provided, inter alia, for dealing with homelessness
arising as a result of a large scale disaster in the areas of
Orpington, Beckenham, Bromley, Chislehurst and Penge. Within
the area now covered by the London Borough of Bromley the plans
provided for the accommodation of up to 700 persons. It is
intended to bring this scheme up to date and sources of supply of
food, blankets and other essential supplies are being checked. It
has not been necessary to implement this scheme since its preparation
in 1963.
23. The main concern of the "Welfare Authority" has been the
prevention of homelessness with individual families. Despite the
preventive work undertaken, however, the department experienced
many difficulties in providing satisfactory temporary accommodation
when all other avenues had been explored.
The Family
24. The majority of Welfare Authorities admit families to
temporary accommodation without discrimination against the
husband. This is the policy adopted by the London Borough of
Bromley although it could not be applied until suitable properties
were obtained. Accommodation at West Mailing, available by
agreement with the Kent County Council until 31st March, 1967,
had to be used and husbands were excluded.
25. On 1st April, 1965, 4 families (involving 11 children) were the
responsibility of this authority at West Mailing, and 1 family