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80
During the year under review, and since the completion of the
survey, 2.39 additional cases were discovered, making a total of 4,335
cases. In the majority of the new cases, the overcrowding was due to
children attaining the age of one or ten years.
PREVENTION AND ABATEMENT OF OVERCROWDING.
Overcrowding is not yet an offence in this Borough, but the following
steps were taken to ensure, as far as possible, that dwellings vacated by
overcrowded families, were not re-let so as to cause fresh overcrowding
to ensue.
Before any case was recommended for re-housing, the person
responsible for letting was informed of the permitted number of persons
for the dwelling occupied, and was asked to give an assurance that, when
vacated, it would not be re-let in an overcrowded condition.
On the vacation of the premises, enquiries were made to ascertain
the number of persons taking over the accommodation, and the landlords
advised to re-let to a family in which the number of persons equated to
less than the permitted number for the dwelling.
This method has proved effective during the past year, and in only
one instance was a vacated dwelling found to be re-overcrowded, and
this where the incoming tenant gave false information regarding the
number of persons in the family. This tenant promised to seek other
accommodation, and the premises are being kept under observation.
After the removal of an overcrowded family from a house in which
two or more such cases were found, the landlord was asked to offer the
vacated accommodation to the remaining families.
Unfortunately, except where the owners or owners' agents were
responsible for letting, this proved unsuccessful, as in houses, part or
parts of which were sub-let by the principal tenant, the offers of additional
accommodation were generally turned down on the grounds that the
extra rent could not be afforded.