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44
SECTION IV.
HOUSING.
Table IV. given on page 18 shows that at the Census there were
1,287 overcrowded "occupations." The population since that
period has increased only by 1,405 persons.
In the meantime 872 houses were erected—608 by the Council
and 264 by private enterprise. Fifty-three of the latter were
"subsidised."
Assuming five in a family per house 4,360 persons have been provided
for as against an increase of 1,405 in population. In other
words approximately 5,000 persons were living in over-crowded
conditions at the Census as against half that number to-day.
A considerable number of houses are in course of construction on
the border of the District and the Council has in course of construction
at the moment (April) 50 houses in the Northern Area. These,
in conjunction with the houses being built by private enterprise
(97 and 36 Tenements) will tend to relieve at an early date the more
serious conditions of present day overcrowding.
The number of instances of gross overcrowding discovered in the
course of inspection numbered 31. These were to some extent
relieved, more particularly the objectionable features of want of
separation of the sexes by a different allocation of the sleeping
arrangements. The number found by the Sanitary Inspectors is
no index to actual conditions.
The following list of applications for houses submitted to the
Housing Committee in the mid-year shows more fully the extent of
gross overcrowding which has not come under the Inspectors'
knowledge:—
Applicants living in—
One room—two adults with two to four children 283
Two rooms—two adults with three to seven children 129
Three rooms—two adults with four to eight and eleven children
559
The causes of overcrowding were the obvious ones—want of
sufficient accommodation and in many cases inability to pay for
it and the unwillingness of landlords to re-let, preferring to sell
their houses as they became vacant.
No legal action was taken against occupants for overcrowding,
but in many instances the Council or the ''Warner Estate Company"
helped by the granting of a house or "Flat."