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81
With the development of the rehousing schemes both of the London County
Council and of the Borough Council, more patients are obtaining better housing
accommodation since they benefit with the rest of the population as well as by the
preferential scheme for tuberculosis. The committee are glad to record that those
families which have moved to London County Council estates in outer London during
the year seem to have settled more happily than some of those who moved earlier ;
the most favoured district for Shoreditch families is Morden.
In this work of rehousing, the Care Committee make their contribution. When
a family is moved under the preferential scheme and not as part of a clearance scheme
it has to pay its own removal expenses as well as a small deposit and a week's rent in
advance. Families would sometimes have to refuse much wanted accommodation
because of these expenses and it is to prevent this that the cost of the removal is in
many cases paid by the committee. There is a further difficulty which arises from
rehousing and which the committee in a few cases have tried to meet. When a family
moves from a few small rooms to a larger flat or house it is usually very short of
furniture and particularly of floor coverings. The desire to make the best of the new
home sometimes causes people to get into debt and the repayment means shortage
of food for patient and contacts. Here is one case which was helped :
2436 Family consisted of parents and nine children, living in four small rooms. The
father was ill for a long time and so were two of the children, and the family was living
on relief. The father died, the mother obtained work, and later the family were offered an
L.C.C. flat. The Committee paid, through the Fund, the key-deposit, the rent in advance,
and the removal expenses, and also, because of the exceptional circumstances, bought
linoleum for the extra rooms in the new home.
The Sewing Class has continued to meet throughout the year, the care committee
secretary acting as teacher. Although the membership is small there is a
fairly regular attendance and the work serves the double purpose of providing an
occupation for the patient who attends, and a useful garment for the patient to whom
it is later given.
The committee wish to thank all those societies who have co-operated in their
work, particularly the Public Assistance Committee, the Red Cross Committee which
always assists War Pensioners, and the East London Workers among the Poor who
have sent contacts away for convalescence and have obtained spectacles for some
patients and contacts. They also wish to thank all those who have sent clothing and
books for patients during the year.