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44
Housing.
A large shortage of houses still exists. The reason for
this would seem to be cessation, or curtailing, of building since
the War.
No houses have been erected by the West Ham Council
during the year 1925, but 42 were erected by private enterprise.
A housing scheme for the proposed erection of 152 (fourstorey)
tenement flats is now before the Ministry of Health for
consideration. The great lack of building space seriously
hampers the Council in their proposals as to the extent and
nature of their housing scheme.
From 1021 to 1925, inclusive, 249 houses have been erected
either by Municipal Housing Scheme, or by private enterprise,
and the population during that time has increased to the extent
of approximately 16.140, this showing one house erected for
about every 65 persons. In 1921 there were 6.26 persons per
inhabited house, and in 1925 6.55 persons per inhabited house.
The standard of housing of the area varies considerably.
A certain amount of property is in such a bad state of disrepair
that normally a closing order would be issued in respect to it.
There are no houses to let, and the few empty ones are
only obtainable by purchase.
Requests for accommodation are received almost daily.
In many cases people are in a position, and willing to pay for
extra accommodation, but it is practically impossible to procure
the same within the Borough.
Twenty-eight exceptionally bad cases of over-crowding
were dealt with by Notice under the Public Health Act during
the year 1925.
Over-crowding is very prevalent, and is one of the most
urgent problems needing attention, causing, as it does, chronic
ill-health and a grave menace in respect to the spread of infectious
diseases. Further, its effect upon the morals of the
populace is degrading. Its causes are only too well known
and are not peculiar to West Ham, but to more or less all
large industrial areas throughout the country.
Apart from the type of property, referred to above, which
is in a perpetual state of disrepair, and where no sooner is one
Sanitary Notice complied with than it becomes necessary to
issue a further Notice, most of the defects are due to wear and
tear, which is often of an excessive nature because of the large
number of occupants, including sub-tenants. Some of the
poorest class of property changes ownership at comparatively