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in number to many important Urban Districts) were living in 9,981 two-room
dwellings, and 9,627 in 5,649 one-room dwellings.
To alleviate this shortage of accommodation the Borough Council has built
in the last ten years 79 houses and 346 flats, which have been let at rentals
varying from 10s. 9d. to 26s. 0d. per week, whilst the London County Council
has built during the same period 184 flats in the Borough. Many families have
removed from Hackney to the London County Council's estates in the outlying
districts, thus giving further relief to the pressure upon the accommodation within
the Borough. A further 197 flats are in the course of construction at Stamford
Hill, and tenders have been invited for the erection of 140 flats at Shore Road
under the County Council's housing scheme. This additional County Council
housing accommodation is principally for the accommodation of families now
living in other Boroughs and will not benefit Hackney to any great extent. The
Borough Council has also under consideration the erection of flats in Lower
Clapton Road.
(b) Changes in population during the period under review or anticipated in the
future.
The population of the Borough as ascertained at the Census taken in 1921
was 222,142. At mid-1929 the Registrar-General estimated the population to be
214,400, a decrease of 7,742. This estimated fall in the size of the population,
if it is borne out by the 1931 Census, which is most unlikely, can only be ascribed
to the following causes:—
(i) migration to other districts;
(ii) displacement of persons due to the increasing industrialisation of the
Borough. (In my Annual Report for 1928 I drew attention to the fact
that 435 private dwelling houses have been wholly or partly converted
into factories or workshops, and this number has been added to in the
last two years.)
It is probable that the housing of persons from other areas upon the Shore
Road and Stamford Hill estates of the London County Council will off-set the
effect of the migration of persons from the Borough to estates in outlying districts.
(c) Special difficidties in the way of providing suitable sites for new houses.
The Borough is almost entirely built-up, but sites of considerable size can
be obtained for the erection of houses by the demolition of small property and
of worn-out or unsuitable property; the erection of block buildings on such cleared
sites would greatly alleviate the overcrowding in the Borough. There are no
extensive sites suitable for the erection of houses other than those secured by the
demolition of worn-out or unsuitable property. There are, for instance, a number
of fairly old detached houses in the Stamford Hill district which have large gardens.
These houses are occupied at the present time, but if they could be acquired at
some future date and demolished a considerable area for the erection of houses
and flats would be provided. This line of action is being very largely followed
by the London County Council.
3.—overcrowding.
(a) Extent.
Reference has been made under heading 2 (a) to the overcrowding shown
to exist by the information obtained at the Census of 1921. The cases of overcrowding
recorded in the Public Health Department are principally those where
complaint has been made or where gross overcrowding has been discovered by
a Sanitary Inspector in the course of his duties. It is obvious that no good can
result from serving notices on persons unable to obtain better accommodation,
even if action would be immediately taken under more favourable circumstances.