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12
CHIEF SANITARY INSPECTOR'S REPORT
Housing
The effects of the housing shortage continued to be
a pre-occupation of the department and this shortage
continued despite the substantial number of new houses
which the Council have already provided. Many people
living under unsatisfactory conditions solicited the aid
of the department with a view to re-housing. Where
it was considered that a useful purpose would be served
reports were submitted for the consideration of the
Housing Committee but cases did occur of people who
needed re-housing but for one reason or another were
not eligible for consideration under the Council's
"points" scheme. In these cases there was little that
could be done to assist. All housing applicants were
visited by the sanitary inspectors before they were finally
interviewed by the Housing Committee and I believe
that these fact-finding inspections did help the Committee
to assess those applicants with the greatest need.
In addition to the needs of those people without a
house of their own there was the problem of the families
housed in unsatisfactory and unfit dwellings. Following
consideration by the Public Health Committee of
reports which I submitted, it was decided that the
Council would deal with thirty unfit dwellings a year
including the re-housing of the occupants. Although
this number was not large it did mean that a definite
programme could be arranged for dealing with the worst
of the known unfit dwellings and by the end of the year
twenty-three demolition orders had been made, others
were in the process of being considered and a start had
been made on re-housing the occupants.
Efforts were made to thoroughly repair some of the
older properties under Section 9 of the Housing Act, 1936,
but there were great difficulties in the way. The
increased cost of building repairs and the extensive works
often necessary brought one up against the "reasonable
expense" clause with the alternative of action under
Section 11 and yet these houses cannot adequately be
dealt with under the Public Health Act.