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71
HOUSING.
Housing Conditions in the Borough of Wandsworth.
1. General Observations as to Housing Conditions.
The standard of houses in the Borough varies considerably
and no details are available showing the proportion of
the different types which can only be given approximately.
Some 20 per cent. of the houses are of the superior
residential type and about 30 per cent. are of the residential
middle class type occupied by their owners.
There are a number of houses built in terraces, some
of them self-contained flats, which were built by private
enterprise for the artisan class between 20 and 50 years ago.
The proportion of these is probably in the neighbourhood of
15 per cent.
There are about the same number of large houses built
50 to 80 years ago which were formerly of the residential
type, but are now occupied by the working classes. About
19 per cent. of the houses are cottage property, some of which
is 80 to 100 years old.
About 1 per cent. of the houses in the Borough are old
and insanitary and ripe for demolition.
2. Sufficiency of Supply of Houses.
There is a shortage of housing accommodation at a
reasonable rental. There are only a few houses available
at a rental under 12s. 6d. per week which is the highest rent
that many families can pay. The proportion of families
affected by this shortage may be as high as 10 per cent.
No important changes in the population have occurred
during the period under review.
There is a difficulty in obtaining suitable sites for the
erection of houses as most of the land in the Borough has
now been built on. The high price of land accentuates the
difficulty.