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23
In 1920 the borough was divided for the purpose of sanitary
inspection into 14 districts, but, in that year, sanction was obtained
for the appointment of three additional inspectors for work under
the Housing and Town Planning Act Regulations, and summing
up the position in my Annual Report I wrote: "Housing difficulties
in Hackney are those common to most London boroughs, and are
by this time well known to the public in general. Briefly, much
of the housing property is in poor condition, repairs are expensive,
and in many cases owners are barely able to meet the cost, while
owing to the age of many of the houses frequent repairs are essential.
Alternative accommodation is scanty or lacking, so that Closing
Orders cannot be put into force.''
The following year saw the number of Intimation Notices
served rise to 7,923, and Statutory Notices to 1,701, with legal
proceedings being necessary in 115 instances, and reviewing the
work of sanitary inspection in my Annual Report I stated:—
"This work throughout the year has been carefully and
conscientiously carried out, and it is due to this fact that the
housing conditions of the borough have not caused considerable
adverse comment.
The position is, however, becoming steadily more difficult.
The three additions to the inspecting staff have rendered it
possible to give the additional attention that the increasing
dilapidation of the housing property renders necessary in order
to prevent the formation of large slum areas and maintain
housing property in comparatively decent condition, but it is
not possible to deal with overcrowding, apart from exceptionally
bad cases, or to close a great deal of property that under
other circumstances would necessarily be shut down
It is, however, not a business proposition to repair
adequately a great many of the houses in the borough, and
only under pressure is it possible to have any work whatever
carried out on much of the property with increasing
dilapidation, and also as a result of war-time neglect, the
amount of repairs required has increased, a fact well evidenced
by the number of complaints of leaky roofs that follow any
heavy downfall of rain.
Matters that should receive the careful attention of the
authorities are the situation that may arise should the Increase
of Rents, etc., Act, 1920, lapse, and the increasing tendency
on the part of owners and agents to shelve responsibility by
inducing incoming tenants to sign agreements to undertake
repairs on property, that is, or is about to become ruinous."