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52
but although statutory overcrowding has decreased there has been
a considerable increase in what one might call social overcrowding
in that two or more families are living communally in one flat,
although if the aggregate number of persons is related to the total
available accommodation there is no overcrowding on the standard
laid down by the Housing Act. Moreover, whilst, as stated above,
statutory overcrowding has apparently decreased, it must be borne
in mind that there are a considerable and at present incalculable
number of families who would be overcrowded if the bedroom
standard applied.
Some of the overcrowding which has occurred since the war
has been due to the migration of families from other areas but because
of the shortage of housing accommodation the Council has not
found it possible to rigidly enforce the overcrowding provisions of
the Act as to do so would in many cases cause extreme hardship
to the families concerned.
Other Housing Cases .
Rehousing has not been restricted to the Housing Act operations
previously mentioned for, in addition, following recommendations
made by me, 1,846 families inadequately housed on
medical grounds have been rehoused by the London County Council
during the past 20 years. This period, of course, includes the war
years when little rehousing of this nature was possible. Of these
recommendations 771 were made because of tuberculosis in the
family and 1,075 for other medical reasons and many of the families
concerned were accommodated on cottage estates outside the
London area where they can live in the open surroundings necessary
for their rehabilitation.
Provision of Housing Accommodation .
The provision of housing accommodation does not come within
the purview of the Public Health Department, but a report on
slum clearance would not be complete without some reference to
the accommodation which has been erected by the County and
Borough Councils on clearance area sites. Some of this accommodation
bas been utilised for rehousing people from slum clearance
areas, some for overcrowded families and the remainder for families
otherwise inadequately housed.
A number of the areas cleared have been too small to permit
the sites to be utilised for rebuilding, but the following lists show
the accommodation which has been built by the Borough Council