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119
VIII.—HOUSING.
The year 1934 marked a transition stage in the housing activity of the Borough
Council. It was generally anticipated that a very intensive slum clearance scheme
would be necessary in the area, and it was thought that the London County Council
would probably be prepared to deal with the largest of these schemes. Consequently,
action in respect of individual areas was postponed until the limits of the larger
schemes had been settled.
It is proposed to give in this report merely a brief outline of the various aspects
of the housing question. In the next Annual Report the whole problem will be
dealt with in greater detail.
Number of Houses.
The total number of houses in the Borough on 31st December, 1934, was 14,077.
Overcrowding.
In an urban area this may be of two types: (a) spacial overcrowding, in which
the amount of cubic space for the occupants is insufficient according to recognised
standards; (b) overcrowding in which unmarried persons of opposite sex
over ten years of age are compelled through lack of space to occupy the same
room at night.
In the past there has been great difficulty in drawing up standards which would
take into account both these aspects of overcrowding. The recognised general
standard makes no attempt to allow for moral overcrowding, and there has been
no definite concensus of opinion regarding the most suitable standard to be adopted.
Many follow the Manchester standard, while others adopt the standard set up by the
Merseyside Social Survey. It is satisfactory to note that an official ruling will shortly
be given on this important question, since the new Housing Bill contains certain
prescribed standards. The first schedule to the Bill sets out the maximum number
of persons who may sleep in houses of different sizes without the existence of overcrowding.
In addition, the Bill contains a very important clause, Section 2 (I) (a):
" A dwelling house shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to be overcrowded
at any time when the number of persons in the house either—(a) is such that any
two of those persons being persons ten years old or more of opposite sexes and not
being persons living together as husband and wife, must sleep in the same room."
It is possible that moral overcrowding is more common than is generally realised.
At the present time no satisfactory figures exist regarding the whole question of
overcrowding. The new Act will, however, call for a rapid survey of the whole
Borough, and it is anticipated that this survey will be completed before the conclusion
of the year 1935. It will then be possible to judge the question of overcrowding
in the Borough and to apply the necessary steps for its abatement.