Progress Of City Housing Survey In Central Area

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29824, 17 May 1962, Page 15

Progress Of City Housing Survey In Central Area

Further decadence must occur unless an over-all plan was formulated to rehabilitate decayed housing areas, said Mr A. P. Millthorpe, the Chief City Health Inspector, in a report given to the City Council last evening, through its housing reclamation committee, of the progress on a housing survey.

The report gave the results of a survey of 37 blocks in the residential B area between Kilmore street and Bealey avenue, in which 1587 dwelling units were inspected.

Of the houses inspected, 76.9 per cent, were more than 50 years old, 56.9 per cent, more than 60 years old and 27.9 per cent, were in the category that would possibly require replacing within the nxt 20 years if the present trend continued. Eight per cent, of the housing was in the demolition class, with 4.6 per cent, being borderline cases, and 30.9 per cent, needed attention ranging from slight to extensive repairs. AU the dwellings occupied by age beneficiaries were suitable for the housing of larger families, having 404 bedrooms occupied by 246 persons, the report said.

Of the 476 persons in the area over the age of 60, 345 were females, which indicated the greater need for housing provision to be made for females when considering aged, persons' accommodation. th“ report said. Flat Buildings From the area covered by the survey so far, the pattern that had emerged was one of isolated redevelopment only, the report said. Generally the redevelopment had been" on individual sections which allowed the erection of single-storey four-unit blocks of flats situated in comparatively wide streets. Little effort, if any. had been made by private enterprise to erect new housing in the part of

the city having narrow streets and old types of housing with a limited life and located on very small sections.

At present the Government subsidy was only available on property on which the council rebuilt and maintained itself, and it might be that to rehabilitate the areas representation should be made to the Government to allow a subsidy on other schemes.

The report suggested that the most economical method of rehabilitating areas with narrow streets and small sections was for the council to acquire the land not occupied by new or satisfactory housing, clear it of buildings, and subdivide it into ade-quate-sized building sections for resale to private enterprise with the council stipulating the type of housing to be erected.

The council agreed with its committee that a senior inspector should be appointed to a vacancy in the health inspectors’ department to analyse information obtained by the field officers and to carry out detailed examination and study of the information gained. The council also agreed that the next survey of, housing would be made in the Phillipstown - Waltham district. to be followed by the Sydenham district, south of Brougham street.