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42
Housing Act, 1935.
The "appointed day" for this Borough, after which
subject to certain safeguards overcrowding became an offence
under this Act, was January 1st, 1937.
In my report for 1935, I pointed out that the Council took
early steps to fulfil their duties under this Act and a special
temporary staff was appointed in December of that year to
carry out the survey of all houses within the Borough occupied
by or fit for the occupation of the working classes. This
work continued into the early months of the year under review.
The following sets out particulars of this work:—
(a) Houses suiveyed for the purpose of ascertaining
the existence of overcrowding 8,800
(b) Number of families residing therein 10,604
(c) Number of families found to be living under
overcrowded conditions within the meaning of
the Act . 305
The above figures formed the basis of the return (Form C)
submitted to the Ministry of Health in April, 1936, and also the
basis for the rough estimate of the houses required to deal with
the overcrowding in this area.
In the preparation of this estimate due regard was paid to
the various suggestions contained in the Ministry's Circular
1539, with the final result that, in the schemes suggested for
re-housing the overcrowded families, it was estimated that 285
houses and flats were required under one scheme and 313 under
an alternative scheme.
At the time of submitting the schemes in August last, it
was pointed out that the estimate was made on the information
contained in Form C submitted to the Ministry of Health in
the month of April and that some variation was likely to occur,
due to new cases of overcrowding arising before the appointed
day, normal removals, cases on the border-line of the overcrowding
standard calling for review and cases in Council
houses which may be relieved by transfer of tenancies before
that time. The estimate however, was sufficiently accurate
for the Council to formulate its re-housing scheme.