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56
72. The net reduction of 14 is the difference between the 37 cases in
which the overcrowding was abated and the 23 new cases.
In 14 instances the abatement of the overcrowding was brought about
by the families being rehoused in council houses.
Of the 23 new cases, the overcrowding was caused in 11 by the
increase in the size of the family or by the ageing of the children, and in
7 by the marriage of one of the children.
Of the 72 cases which were overcrowded at the end of the year,
19 were overcrowded by half a unit and 31 by one unit. Eleven families
were living in premises overcrowded by 1| units, 6 in premises overcrowded
by 2 units and 5 in accommodation overcrowded by 2\ units
or more.
It is only when the overcrowding is by more than one unit that the
Council can entertain an application for re-housing which is based solely
on the grounds of overcrowding.
Although it is satisfactory to be able to report that there are only
these comparatively small numbers of families living in overcrowded
conditions, there are two less favourable aspects. The one is that these
figures do not necessarily indicate the size of the problem, as no complete
survey has been carried out since the one and only survey carried out
specifically for this purpose throughout the country in 1936. Nevertheless,
if only because they hope that the Council might be able to do something
to help them, it is probable that most of those living in overcrowded
conditions get in touch with the Public Health Department. While, then,
it is not claimed to be an exact figure, it can be accepted as being one
very close to the true size of the problem. The other aspect is the standard
of crowding permitted statutorily. Unfortunately, the standard of the
1936 Act which was applicable generally throughout the whole country,
could not be made very high because of the appalling conditions obtaining
in many towns. It was probably intended merely as a first stage target,
the standard to be raised when the worst of the conditions had been
improved. Unfortunately, the war came before much could be achieved
in this way in much of the country, so that the same standards still apply
to-day. Where there are many rooms, a family of the permitted number
of units might manage; but a family in one room, and especially when
that family contains children, might be living in impossible conditions
without being statutorily overcrowded. The worst conditions are met in
a family with young children, especially children under ten, and more
especially with babies of under one year of age, who do not rank even
as half a unit when calculating the permitted number. Such a family with
only half a unit of overcrowding can be much worse placed than one
with perhaps 1½ units of overcrowding occupying three rooms, and yet
that family cannot be helped by the Council who have had to limit their
help to those overcrowded by not less than one unit.
New Housing
The total number of new dwellings provided in this district from the
end of the war up to the 31st December, 1957, was 5,229. Of these, 2,482
were new permanent Council dwellings and 200 were new temporary
dwellings. 1,885 permanent dwellings have been provided by private