HAMP 8 1901. BOROUGH OF HAMPSTEAD. REPORT of the Medical 0fficer of Health on result of ENQUIRY as to the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890. DATED 5th JULY, 1901. Borough of Hampstead. PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. Town Hall, Hampstead, N.W. 5th July, 1901. To the Public Health Committee. Gentlemen, The Commitlee of the whole Council re Housing of the Working Classes, recommended on the 27 th February, 1901, "That the Council do adopt Part III. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890; that it be referred to the Public Health Committee to enquire and for that purpose to appoint Inspectors to make full inquiry and investigation into the nature and extent of overcrowding in the Borough of Hampstead in those streets which are the most thickly populated, and that temporary assistance be afforded to the Health Department at a cost not exceeding £100; and that it be referred to the Committee to consider the question of further housing accommodation for the working classes." This report was subsequently deferred, to allow the recommendation to be submitted to the Finance Committee to report on its financial bearings, and was finally adopted by the Council on March 28th, 1901. 4 The Medical Officer was directed to make arrangements in accordance with the instructions of the Council, and reported to the Public Health Committee that he would require the services of seven additional temporary inspectors for a period of at least eight weeks, during which time he proposed to examine between two and three thousand houses. In April, seven inspectors, viz.:—Miss A. Gough, Messrs. Butterworth, Dooley, Hindhaugh, Lamble, Loughlin, and Wilson, were appointed. After three weeks' work Mr. Dooley withdrew his services. On April 22nd, as soon as was practicable after the Easter recess, operations were commenced. As far as could be ascertained, every street containing tenement houses or houses let in weekly lodgings was scheduled, together with every Mews in the Borough, whilst advantage was at the same time taken to make a house inspection of certain shops and other property which it was considered desirable to visit. Although the reference was primarily to overcrowding, it was thought the opportunity should not be missed of examining into the sanitary condition and ventilation of closets, cisterns, traps, wastes to baths and sinks, the paving of yards, and accommodation provided for the deposit of house refuse. tfo attempt was made to systematically examine the main drains, but whenever a complaint of bad smells was made the fact was reported to the divisional Inspector of the District, and steps taken to examine the drain. Steps were also taken to tabulate ihe rents of both single rooms, and sets of rooms, and by the special desire of the Public Health Commitee, information was to be obtained as to the nature of the occupations of the inhabitants and the places where they were employed. These latter questions were so clearly ultra vires that my instructions to the inspectors were to obtain the information politely, if possible, but not to insist where the questions were objected to. The whole of the information was carefully tabulated in a series of 15 well bound volumes which will form a useful fund of information to my successor in office. 5 The total number of houses examined was 2,932, containing 17,269 rooms. The inhabitants numbered 20,576 of whom 15,102 were classed as adults (over 10 years of age), and 5,470 as children (under 10 years). The number of families was 3,805. These were located as follows:—701 rooms were let out as single rooms either in the occupation of one person or small family; 1,612 families occupied two rooms; 1,627 families occupied three rooms; 865 families occupied four rooms ; and 687 houses were occupied by one family. The refusals to admit the Inspectors were few, and were under one per cent. Rents.—The rents paid for single rooms were found to vary from 2s. to 4s. 6d., according to size, situation, and neighbourhood, the general average of recorded rents being 3s. 6d. For sets of two rooms from 4s. 6d. to 12s. 6d., the average being 6s. 6d. For three rooms 5s. to 12s., the average being 8s. 6d. For sets of four rooms from 8s. to 15s., the average being 10s. 6d. Empty Rooms, ok Rooms to Let.—244 rooms to be let were found, 14 empty or odd rooms not to be let. The price demanded for empty rooms averaged 3s. 3d. per room. Overcrowding.—In estimating the amount of what I may term to be illegal overcrowding or conditions under which your authority would be advised to take summary proceedings, I must take as a guide the Bye-laws of your Council applicable to houses let in lodgings, which provide for at least 400 cubic feet for every adult, and 200 for each child under ten years of age to occupy, at any one time, as a sleeping apartment, a room not exclusively used for that purpose; and 300 cubic feet for each adult, and 150 cubic feet for each person under 10 years of age, a room used exclusively as a sleeping room. The actual number of cases where these conditions were not found to comply with this minimum air space was 24. 6 The instances were more numerous where adults, such as youths of 15, 17, 19, 20 years of age, were found to be sleeping in the same room as their parents, or of adult school children sleeping with parents. With a standard of 400 cubic feet of air space, it is possible to have crowding as distinct from overcrowding. 1,000 cubic feet of air space per person is a standard more applicable to modern notions of sanitation. I append a list of the streets, roads and places where the houses examined were situated, together with a table of all cases of overcrowding that were detected. It will be noted that 2 of these occurred in No. 1 Ward; 12 in No. 2 Ward; 3 in No. 3 Ward; 4 in No. 5 Ward; 2 in No. 6 Ward; and 1 in No. 7 Ward. Overcrowding may be divided into two classes. In the first class I would place those who from want of means are not able to afford by payment of rent, the cubic space that is necessary to escape illegal overcrowding. In the second class I would include those who are found to be overcrowded in certain rooms, whilst having the necessary accommodation in other rooms which are not at the moment used. This condition usually occurs in bedrooms either tenanted by children, or lodgers. Thus in our recent examination cases frequently occurred where 3 or 4 children were found sleeping with their parents and illegally overcrowded in a small bedroom, whilst all the time a livingroom or best parlour was left empty. Avarice also plays its part; a case came under notice in which 9 adults and 12 children occupied 7 rooms, the landlady compelling her 3 children to sleep in a scullery, her better rooms being either unoccupied or let to lodgers. A class of property not always suspected of overcrowding is to be found occupied by shopkeepers, who sub-let. From the important external appearance of these shops they often escape the vigilance of the Sanitary Authority. It is not unusual to find cellar dwellings illegally occupied. A tradesman will sometimes have two or more 7 shops, in one of which he lives with his family, and sub-lots the rooms of the other. It is in the latter class of houses that insanitary conditions with want of cleansings have been found to exist. The dwellings existing in old mews are frequently found to be both overcrowded and insanitary; here the habit of taking in single men lodgers (connected with horses or otherwise) is very frequent. The rooms are mostly found to be small, deficient in cubic air space and through ventilation. It must at the same time be remembered that housing accommodation in Mows is the cheapest available and eagerly taken up by people of small means: unfortunately being for the most part tenanted by one family only, they cannot be put under the Council's Bye-laws for "Houses let in Lodgings, or occupied by Members of more than one Family." House to house visitation is necessary for the discovery of overcrowding. Even in good class roads it is not uncommon to find a house let out in tenements, sandwiched, as it were, between two houses let to single families. In one of these, the lower closet was found to be converted into a coal cellar, the unsealed pan filled with coals high above the seat, the water apparatus of course useless. The question of cubical space in relation to the amount of rent the very poor can afford to pay, is a subject which is too frequently overlooked. The case of a working man with a family and a living wage of 20s. to 24s. a week may be instanced. The rooms into which he will most naturally sink, will be those which either from their insanitary condition, their absence of light, air, or propect, such as basements of houses, will furnish him with the necessary cubical capacity, at a rate at which he can afford it. One reason for the necessity of the multiplication of small rooms in tenements is to be found in the question of the separation of the sexes. Children accustomed to occupy the same bedroom as their parents quietly grow up without the parents remarking that they have become adults; hence the apparent indifference of the poorer classes to questions which appear to have a direct bearing upon morals. One large room with lofty ceilings will provide cubical space at a cheaper 8 rate than a set of three small rooms, which, regarded from the point of decency are more convenient. A screen or curtain is often considered a sufficient concess:on to decency in a large room occupied by adult brothers and sisters, or when sharing the rooms with their parents. The importance of including a bye-law providing for the separation of the sexes in all sets of bye-laws for tenement houses cannot be too strongly insisted on. Occupations.—With regard to occupations, it was soon ascertained that the information to be obtained was both unsatisfactory and unreliable; in many instances it was absolutely refused, and as the inquiry was made in the daytime when only for the most part, women were at home, the inspectors had to be contented with general answers. The list obtained was found to comprise all sorts and conditions of occupations, from authors, dentists, and Scripture readers, to tramway servants, labourers and handy men. Many of the women professed— perhaps with good cause—to be ignorant of their husbands' occupations. In the neighbourhood of Fleet Road and Palmerston Road, the occupants generally had relation to the tramway and omnibus industries. In other quarters, clerks and skilled mechanics chiefly resided. One street contained a great many theatrical employees and itinerant musicians, whilst labourers attached to the building interests were found in all quarters, but more thickly perhaps on the Kilburn side. The information obtained as to whether the people were employed in the Borough or outside its border, caused so much irritation and was so little to be relied on that the inquiry had to be abandoned. Sanitary Conditions.—Waterclosets were found to be out of order or dirty in 271 instances; 178 cisterns required cleansing; 90 roofs were found to be leaky; 64 yards required to have pavings repaired or renewed; and 119 dust receptacles required attention. The great complaint was of dirty rooms: 847 of them were reported to need cleansings. Some of these houses were already under notice, and in many instances landlords and occupiers made haste to put their premises into repair, and carry out the works required. 9 The house to house inspection of parts of Nos. 1 and 3 Wards went to show that in some cases the sanitary arrangements were not up to date; for instance, soil-pipes were found to be unventilated or in combination with rain water pipes. I should advise that house to house inspections should be continued in the older parts of the Borough as time and opportunity occur. The points where the greatest pressure for accommodation arises, is undoubtedly in No. 2 Ward, and in the vicinity of Fleet Road. Here high rents prevail, and the number of unoccupied rooms is very small. The tramway and laundry industries, the presence of two or three large factories, and the proximity to the densely populated parts of St. Pancras, all contribute to this result. A block of workmen's dwellings erected at this point, if let at market value, would be made to pay a reasonable percentage and provide for a sinking fund. The nearest approach to crowding in the Town Ward was found to be about Flask Walk. The chief difficulty in housing the working classes is found to be in the case of people with three or four young children. Many landlords prefer to remain unlet rather than take in children, who, from their well-known destructive habits and noisy pastimes, are dreaded in a house that is well-kept. Under Part III. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act the Local Authority, having adopted it, may:— 1.—Purchase land for the erection of dwelling houses for the working classes. 2.—Contract for the purchase or lease of any lodging house for the working classes already, or hereafter to be, built or provided. 3.—Erect dwellings suitable for lodging houses for the working classes. 4.—Convert existing buildings into lodging houses, and for that purpose may alter, enlarge, repair, and improve the same respectively. 10 •5.—Purchase land, and build suitable dwellings for the working classes outside of the district. It is probable that if judiciously selected, groups of houses in the Kilburn district might be taken and dealt with by your Council under No. 4. The late Vestry of Hampstead had on many occasions put into force, on the certificate of their Medical Officer, Part II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890,and from time to time some hundred houses have been condemned. In 1892 no less than 46 houses were so reported, many of them situated in the old Town. Most of these were pulled down, others put into habitable repair. I found, however, that the results were not altogether satisfactory, as little accommodation sprang up to replace the bouses pulled down. In the old Town are to be found cottage properties old, decayed, and ripe for demolition. They are, however, much preferred by the working classes to dwellings in flats; many of them shelter small industries, such as laundries, and most have small garden spaces in front and rear which are useful as drying grounds, and in which the tenants delight to cultivate a few flowers. Many of these sites would be available if building houses for working classes in this quarter were deemed to be desirable. General Conclusions.—The general conclusions I have arrived at are:— (a) That illegal overcrowding exists to a very limited extent in the Borough. An examination of the cases of overcrowding reported will show that the great majority of these could be dealt with by re-arrangement of the sleeping quarters, they being, in a word, due to ignorance of sanitary laws. That the method most applicable to this Borough to prevent overcrowding is to carry out a systematic and frequent examination of tenement houses by your Inspectors. 11 I would also advise that the registration of tenement houses should be largely extended in the near future, and that the bye-laws should be rigidly enforced. (b) That difficulty is found by the working class, especially in the case of large families, in obtaining accommodation in some parts of the Borough. (c) That the question of separation of the adult sexes, or indecent occupation of sleeping rooms, requires some notice. One result of the inspection that has been carried out, I regret to add, has been to increase the rents of the rooms, as the landlords allege, to pay for the expense thej have been put to by the Sanitary Authority. The case of a landlady was related to me who raised the rents of her tenants all round Is. per wesk, on the ground that" they had encouraged the visits of the inspectors, and pointed out trivial defects." I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, EDMUND GWYNN, M.D. (Acting) Medical Officer of Health. 12 APPENDIX No. 1. Number of Houses Examined, 2,932. Rents. General Average of recorded rents. Lowest. Highest. No. of familits occupying one room 701 2/- 4/6 3/6 No. of families occupying two rooms 1612 4/6 12/6 6/6 No. of families occupying three rooms 1627 5/- 12/- 8/6 No. of families occupying four rooms 865 8/- 15/- 10/6 No. of empty rooms 244 — — 3/3 per room Sanitary Notices Required. Closets 271 Cisterns 178 Roofs 90 Yards 64 Dust-bins 119 General 847 13 APPENDIX No. II. PARTICULARS OF OVERCROWDING AS REPORTED BY THE INSPECTORS. * Golden Square.—Two top floor rooms occupied by man, wife, and 3 children; the top floor front room us-ed as a sleeping apartment by the parents and 1 child. The overcrowding has been abated by re-arranging the sleeping accommodation. ** New End.—The occupier of the house caused the first floor back room to be overcrowded to the extent of 3 children, so that an upper room was available for letting. Lodger under notice to quit to make room for occupier's own family. ** Constantine Road.—Middle slip room occupied by 3 girls, daughters of occupier of house. As the girls were over 10 years of age, the room was slightly overcrowded. Abated by calling occupier's attention to the matter. ** Lisburne Road.—Bath room used as a sleeping room by servant of occupier. Now discontinued to be used. Plenty of other room. ** Fleet Road.—Ground floor rooms and small back bedroom on second floor, occupied by man, wife, and 6 children. Obtained other lodgings immediately it was suggested that their apartments were overcrowded. '* Fleet Road.—Two rooms on top floor occupied by man, wife, and 5 children. Too many slept in back room. Overcrowding abated by re-arranging the sleeping accommodation. 14 ** Fleet Road.— Three rooms on ground floor occupied by man, wife, and 6 children aged 13, 12, 13, 10, 6, and 2 years: wished to keep front room solely as a parlour; this caused too many to sleep in back room. Overcrowding abated by re-arranging the sleeping accommodation. ** Fleet Road.—Three rooms on ground floor and ante-room on first floor landing occupied by man, wife, and 5 children. Ante-room 630 cubic feet used for sleeping by 4 adults aged 18, 15, 12, 11, and 1 child aged 6 years; overcrowded to the extent of 2 adults and 1 child. Notice served and overcrowding abated. ** Upper Park Road.—Top floor rooms occupied by man, wife, and 4 children aged 11, 6, and 3 years, and infant 6 months. Back room 993 cubic feet used for sleeping purposes by 1 adult (11 years) and 2 children aged 6 and 3 years; 993 ÷ 300 = 3 and 93 feet over, or sufficient for present occupants with 393 cubic feet to spare. Front room, 1,008 cubic feet, used as a living apartment, and also for sleeping apartment by 2 adults (man and wife) and infant aged 6 months; 1,008 ÷ 400 = 2½ with 8 cubic feet to spare. ** Upper Park Road.—Small room on top floor, 176 cubic feet, was used for sleeping purposes by a person aged 16 years. This person was replaced by a child aged 3 years. * Kingsford Street.—2 rooms on first floor oocupied by man, wife, and 3 children, aged 6, 4, and 1 year. Back room 972 cubic feet was previously used as a bedroom for the family, and would, therefore be overcrowded to the extent of 1 child. Overcrowding abated by allowing child aged 6 years to sleep in large front room. 15 * Dunboyne Street.— First floor, 2 rooms, occupied by man, wife and 2 children, aged 11, and 7 years; all slept in back room, 997 cubic feet. Overcrowding abated by placing adult, aged 11 years, in front room. ** Oppidans Mews.—Occupier has four rooms, 3 used for sleeping purposes. Back room, 1,226 cubic feet, was occupied when Inspector called by 4 adults, aged 18, 16, 13, and 10 years for sleeping; overcrowding was caused by son, aged 18, being home on a holiday; has now gone back to service as a footman, overcrowding abated. * Elizabeth Mews. —3 rooms at present occupied by man, wife, and 4 children, aged 15, 8, 4, and 2 years. First back room 614 cubic feet, used for sleeping by 2 adults (man and wife). I am informed another child used to sleep in this room with parents, but has since gone to Children's Hospital to be surgically treated. Second back room 867 cubic feet used for sleeping by 1 adult aged 15 years, and 3 children aged 8, 4, and 2 years, giving 117 cubic feet to spare. * Elizabeth Mews.—Three rooms occupied by widow who lets lodgings to siogle men employed in the neighbourhood, this being her only means of support. First back room 614 cubic feet used for sleeping by 2 adults aged about 18 years (butchers' assistants); 14 feet to spare. Second back room 867 cubic feet used for sleeping by 2 adults (grocers' assistants); 267 feet to spare. Front room, 935 cubic feet, used as a living and sleeping room by widow herself. * Loudoun Mews.—Occupier has 3 rooms; small back room 203 cubic feet overcrowded when Inspector called by being used as a sleeping apartment by 1 person aged 25 and 1 child aged 5 years. Overcrowding abated by person aged 25 years now sleeping in front room. 16 ** Belsize Lane.—Occupier has 2 rooms, 1 large front room, and 1 small bedroom. Bedroom 832 cubic feet was used for sleeping by family (man, wife and 2 children aged 6 and 4); this would be overcrowded to the extent of 1 child. Overcrowding abated by mating up a bed for child aged 6 years in front room. * Belsize Lane.—Inspector called June 14th and reported crowding; on June 28th found premises temporarily vacated; occupier is a coachman and is away with family. ** Fortune Grken Roar —Second floor flat, 3 rooms, comprising sitting room, bedroom, and kitchen had been occupied by man, wife, and 3 children, all sleeping in bedroom. Overcrowded to the extent of 3 children; overcrowding abated, occupier having vacated premises, rooms now empty. * Ingham Road.— Ground floor flat, 3 rooms, sitting room, back room and kitchen, occupied by man, wife, and 4 children, all sleeping in back room. Overcrowded to the extent of 3 children; overcrowding abated by removing 3 children from back room to sitting room which is now used as a bedroom. •* Ingham Road.—House occupied by one family, 1st floor ante-room occupied by 4 young men, sons of occupier. Overcrowded to the extent of 2. Overcrowding has now been abated by re-arrangement of sleeping accommodation. ** Tverson Road.—Third floor flat, 3 rooms, sitting room, back room, and kitchen, occupied by man, wife, and 4 children, all sleeping in back room. Overcrowded to the extent of 3 children. Notice served and overcrowding abated by removing 3 children from back room to sitting room, which is now used as a bedroom. ** Loveridge Road.—First floor, 3 rooms, occupied by man, wife, and 2 children, all sleeping in small ante-room. Overcrowded to the extent of 1 adult and 1 child. Overcrowding abated, occupier having vacated rooms. 17 ** Havenshaw Street.—Ground floor front room, back room and kitchen, also first floor ante-room occupied by one family, three adults and three children. Two adults and three children sleeping in first floor ante-room. Overcrowded to the extent of 2 children. Notice served. Overcrowding- now abated by removing 2 children from first floor ante-room to ground floor front room. APPENDIX No. III. Cellar Dwellings Reported by the Inspectors. **Winchester Road.—Front basement room used as living and sleeping apartment by 2 persons (man and wife). Notice served to discontinue occupation. Room now unoccupied. **Winchester Road. — Front basement room used as living and sleeping apartment by one woman. Notice served to discontinue occupation. Room now unoccupied. 18 APPENDIX No. IY. List of Streets, Roads and Places in which Houses Examined were situated. Abbey Lane Abbey Road Adelaide Mews Agincourt Road Ainger Road Albert Mews Alexandra Mews Alexandra Road Ariel Road Back Lane, including the Flats Bell Terrace Belsize Court Stables Belsize Lane Stables Belsize Mews Belsize Park Mews Belsize Place Belsize Road Benhara's Place Bolton Road Boundary Mews Boundary Road Broomsleigh Street Burrard Road Canfield Place Churcb Lane, including Prince Arthur Buildings and Prince Arthur Mews Collas Mews Constantino Road Cotleigh Road Cressy Road Daleham Mews Dornfell Street Dynham Road Edward Terracc Elizabeth Mews Elm Row England's Lane Eresby Mews Eresby Road Erskine Road Eton Place Mews Eton Stables Fairfax Mews Fairfax Road Fairhazel Gardens Flask Walk, including Albany Flats, Flask Cottages, Lutton Terrace, Murray Place, and Murray Terrace Fleet Mews Fleet Road Fortune Green Road, including Fortune Green and Munro Terrace 19 Gardnor Road Golden Square Golden Yard Goldsmith's Gardens Goldsmith's Place Grove Cottages, The Grove Hampstead Square Haverstock Hill Heath Street Hemstal Road Holly Bush Hill Holly Bush Steps Holly Hill Holly Mount, including wold Cottages nollyberry Place Holtham Road Ingham Road Iverson Road, including ham Terrace Kelson Street Kilburn Priory King Henry's Road King's College Mews East and West King's College Road Kingsford Street Kingsgate Road Lambolle Stables Lancaster Stables Lawn Road Linstead Street Lisburne Road Loudoun Road Loudoun Road Mews Loveridge Road Love ridge Yard Lower Cross Road Lowfield Road Mackeson Road Mansfield Place Maryon Stables Maygrove Road Medley Road Mill Lane, Midland Railway Cottages Minerva Place Mount Vernon, including Mount Vernon Cottages Netherwood Street New End, including Grove Place, Southwell Terrace and Willow Terrace New End Square Oppidans Mews Osborne Terrace Palmerston Road Parkhill Road Peebles Mews Perrins Court Princess Mews Prospect Place Ravenshaw Street Silver Street, including Manor Buildings and Money Cottages South End Green, including Jennings' Cottages and Railway Cottages South Hill Park Mews Southampton Road Springfield Gardens Stamford Place, Heath Strett 20 Steele's Mews, North and South Sumatra Road Upper Belsize Terrace Upper Park Road Yale of Health, including Yillas on the Heath, Heath Villas, Vale of Health Studios, and 11 various cottages West End Lane,including King's Cottages and West Cottages White Bear Lane William Terrace Williams Mews Willow Road Winchester Road