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47
Smoke Abatement.—It has not been necessary during the year
to take any legal action for the abatement of smoke.
7. Housing.
(i) General Housing Conditions in the Area.—There is a
general shortage of houses in the district. The Council are now
building some more houses on the Horns Road Estate, comprising
98 cottages and 48 maisonettes, making a total of 146 occupations.
There is a considerable amount of building going on in
the district. 11,015 houses were completed during 1925, and a
further 1,346 were in course of erection on 31st December, 1925.
Most, however, are being built for sale and do not help the
situation for the supply of houses for letting to the poorer people.
Exceptional activity is taking place in this district for the purchase
of houses under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts, 1899-1923,
but even this leaves the difficulty of housing for the poorer people.
(ii) Overcrowding.—There are many cases of overcrowding,
but it is impossible to take extreme measures to abate these.
I have under review 14 cases of extreme overcrowding which
under normal conditions it would be necessary to deal with by legal
process, but under present conditions it is hardly likely that any
magistrate would issue the order.
Considerable difficulty was encountered in dealing with the
case of a family living in an underground room, being a cellar
within the meaning of the Public Health Act. Notices were served
on the persons, but it was not considered possible or advisable to
enforce them, and after a period of eight months had elapsed the
family obtained other accommodation.
It will be remembered that the Census of 1921 showed that at
that time 508 families made up of 882 persons were occupying one
room per family, and that 1,257 families made up of 3,045 persons
were occupying two rooms per family.
(iii) Fitness of Houses.—The general standard of houses in
the Ilford area is good.