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65
HOUSING.
There has been no relaxation of the housing activities of the Public
Health Department during the year under review.
From the table appended it will be seen that many houses have been
inspected, of which a large number have been rendered fit for human
habitation, and many demolished.
The general housing survey of the Borough was completed early in
the year and a map of the unhealthy areas and unfit houses prepared.
In June, the memorable Circular 1331 of the Ministry of Health,
for the preparation of schemes for expediting the clearance of slums,
was received.
We were in the happy position of having anticipated such a plan
of action, and accordingly the Council's scheme for the clearance of all
Southwark slums was submitted to the London County Council at the
end of August.
It was the wish of the Minister that such a scheme should be timed
on a five-years basis; this was obviously impossible in such a Borough as
Southwark, where sites for rehousing purposes are almost impossible to
obtain, and the time of clearance must of necessity depend largely on
the activities of the London County Council, with which the Borough
schemes must be closely linked.
Progress in putting the scheme into operation is very slow.
Ten small areas were represented during the year, but none at the
time of writing have been cleared and the people rehoused; in fact, the
Council have only been able to make Clearance Orders in two cases owing
to the many difficulties which unexpectedly arise from one quarter or
another, which hold up proceedings, sometimes for several months.
The chief obstacle to rapid progress is the present difficulty of
obtaining alternative accommodation in or adjacent to the Borough;
there are hopes, however, that in the course of another few months this
difficulty will to some extent be overcome, when possibly some of our
efforts will bear fruit.