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130 of these temporary bungalows have now been demolished.
It should be noted that the Borough Council's figures include a number of
dwellings on the Syon Estate, Isleworth, which is in the adjoining Borough of
Heston and Isleworth.
Conversion of Council Houses
No further conversions or improvements to Council owned houses were carried
out in 1963.
Overcrowding
Nine cases of statutory overcrowding were brought to the notice of the
Department and were considered by the Housing Committee during 1963„ It will
be seen from the Housing Statistics on page 65 that fifty cases of overcrowding
were relieved during the year.
Overcrowding is relieved in various ways, by private arrangements made by
the families concerned, by Council re-housing, or by Council nomination under
the Industrial Selection Scheme for housing in New Towns.
The Borough Council decided to alter Housing policy to permit the allocation
of specific points for medical reasons, and during 1963 many files of housing
applicants were submitted for review by the Medical Officer of Health for
this purpose As all Council housing should be allocated on need, this is a
good thing and can save life as so many applicants are found to be living on
top floors and using long flights of stairs while suffering from severe heart
or lung disease, or disabling arthritic or paralytic conditions. Although
overcrowding and damp housing are dangerous and unhealthy, human beings have
considerable powers of resistance to such conditions, as was evidenced by the
findings on shelter living during the War, but the crippling effect of the constant
stair-climbing on these severely handicapped persons is very much more
dangerous.
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