View report page

31
It will be seen then that it is the duty of the authority to cause
inspections of properties to be made, the so-called routine inspections.
Where housing defects are found, the question to be settled is whether
repairs could be reasonably required, in which case the owners were
approached ; or if not, then steps are taken to obtain a demolition order
in the case of a single house or a clearance order in the case of a group
of houses. In regard to overcrowding, approach is made to both owner
and tenant, whilst many owners request the authority to give them a
certificate of the permitted number of occupants.
This routine inspection accounts for only part of the work of the
sanitary inspector in regard to housing. To an increasing extent their help
is sought by tenants who complain of some structural fault. Since amalgamation
progress had been made in the eradication of the poorer classes
of habitation in the district. Concurrently, repairs were being carried
out to quite a high standard. The overcrowding survey showed that
there was comparatively little statutory overcrowding in the district.
The war soon altered this relatively satisfactory housing situation.
Shortage of labour and shortage of material restricted action under the
Housing Acts, quite apart from the shortage of inspectors to carry out
the inspections. Repairs to property were limited to that work necessary
to comply with the more urgent standards of the Public Health Acts.
No further houses were reported with a view to the making of demolition
or clearance orders, while the demolition of properties already condemned
was suspended. The standard of housing then has fallen ; while, too,
the position in regard to crowding has become very much worse. While
the increased availability of labour and materials should shortly enable
the houses to be brought to a more satisfactory standard, not until
sufficient new accommodation has been erected to house those needing
it, will it be possible to contemplate taking action in regard to those houses
many of which before the war were considered to be due for representation,
and which are now in that much worse a state because of the absence
of any maintenance or repair.
The following table sets out the particulars relating to housing
inspections and subsequent action :—