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(3) Repairs are often not carried out 'because the owner is financially
barrassed, although he may desire to do so, if he could borrow the
necessary money. At the present time the Local Authority may do
the work and may app'y for an order to declare such expenses incurred
to be payable by instalments within a period not exceeding 30 years
with interest at the rate not exceeding 5 per cent. I think it would be
better if the Local Authority was empowered to advance the money
subject to proper safeguards, at any rate until the housing shortage is
overcome.
*
(4) Difficulty often arises when the lease is almost expired,or it has only a
few years to run and the premises are in a dilapidated condition, or
the terms of the lease are oppressive. Provision should be made for
the lessee (and the Local Authority in certain cases) to have the terms
of the lease reviewed by the County Court.
(5) A number of houses are unoccupied which are, or could easily be made
fit for occupation, but for various reasons are kept empty. Even if
the Local Authority repair empty houses, there is no power to compel
the owner to let them. When there is such a serious housing shortage
the owner should be called upon to show cause why the houses should
not be let.
Housing- Conditions—Statistics,—192 2.
Ministry of Health Table.
1.—General.
(1) Estimated population 252,170
(2) General death-rate 13-8 per 1,000
(3) Death-rate from tuberculosis 1*24 per 1,000
(4) Infantile mortality 79 per 1,000
(5) Number of dwelling-houses of all classes - - - 31,639
(6) Number of working-class dwelling-houses - - - 31,639
(7) Number of new working-clacs houses erected - - - 34
2—Unfit Dwelling Houses.
I.—Inspection.
(1) Total number of dwelling-houses inspected for housing
defects (under Public Health or Housing Acts) - - 22,914
(2) Number of dwelling-houses which were inspected and
recorded under the Housing (Inspection of District)
Regulations, 1910 - - - - - - . 13,397