London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Harrow 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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The following statement extracted from the returns on Form H. 256 shows the position at the beginning and at the end of the
year:—
| Position at December 31st. | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1937. | 1938. | |
| Number of houses demolished under Section 11 | 65 | 91 |
| *Parts of buildings closed under Section 12 | 7 | 8 |
| Number of persons displaced from these houses | 196 | 345 |
| Number of dwelling-houses made fit under Sections 9-12 | 80 | 109 |
| Insanitary houses demolished in anticipation | ||
| of formal procedure under Section 11 | 19 | 25 |
| Insanitary houses closed (but not demolished) on an undertaking (which has not been cancelled) by the owner under Section 11 | 26 | 15 |
| Houses made fit as a result of informal notice preliminary to formal notice under Section 9 | 884 | 989 |
Overcrowding.
In the Report of 1937 it was shown how the number of houses
which were overcrowded at the time of the Survey had been
reduced from 152 to 32. By December, 1938, this figure had been
reduced to seven by granting Council houses in the case of five
families, by granting larger Council houses in the case of nine
families, whilst the remaining 12 cases were abated by the
movement of occupants.
By December 31st, 1937, the number of review cases had
been reduced from 35 to 11. During 1938 this figure had been
reduced to one, as the overcrowding of the premises occupied by
the ten other families had been abated by the movement of
occupants.
By December 31st, 1937, 53 cases of overcrowding, which
occurred during that year, were reduced to 18. Of these 18 cases,
nine were rehoused in Council houses and seven others became
decrowded by the movement of occupants.
During 1938 a further 51 families have been found to be
overcrowded. By the end of the year this figure had been reduced
to 21. This reduction was achieved by granting Council houses
in 21 cases, transferring to larger Council house in one case and
the remaining eight cases became decrowded by movement of the
occupants.