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23
(b) Housing Act, 1936.
Unfit Houses.
During the year one dwelling was dealt with under this Act as
follows:—
Wooden structure, rear of 66, Higham Street—Closing Order.
General.
The following is supplied by Mr. J. E. West, your Council's
Housing Manager:—
"It will be appreciated that the year ending in March, 1945,
was, from the housing point of view, the most difficult of the war
years. The renewal of enemy activity by flying bombs and rockets
from June onwards, resulted in the total loss of 458 dwellings and
a further 784 were so badly damaged as to be uninhabitable. Nearly
three thousand other houses in the Borough were very seriously
damaged indeed, but by attention to essential repairs, the occupiers
were able to remain.
''The loss of so many properties during a short period and at
a time when the demand had been steadily increasing for some years,
resulted in a serious deterioration of the housing position in the
Borough, and it will obviously be a considerable time before replacement
dwellings are available for the number of families involved.
''A significant figure showing the strain upon housing accommodation
due to enemy activity is reflected in the billeting returns for
the period which showed that no fewer than 5,481 persons were
billeted during the year.
"So far as the Council Housing Estates are concerned, 32 properties
were destroyed and a further 57 so seriously damaged as to be
uninhabitable for lengthy periods.
"The Lettings Section dealt with 47 vacancies on the Council
Estates during the year, and these are analysed as follows:—
By normal lettings 5 cases involving 19 persons.
Rehousing Council tenants rendered
homeless 11 cases involving 80 persons.
Rehousing homeless 9 cases involving 43 persons.
Resumption of tenancies by Council
tenants 13 cases involving 64 persons.
By recommendation of the Medical
Officer of Health 2 cases involving 8 persons.
Redistribution of accommodation 7 cases involving 26 persons.
"By the end of March, 1945, it had become obvious that the
housing problem with which we had been faced hitherto, was assuming
proportions which no efforts either by the Central Government or
the Local Authority could mitigate within a period of some years,
and if a sound long-term policy was to be adopted and due regard