CHEAP HOUSES FOR POOR PEOPLE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 11, 8 October 1936, Page 12

CHEAP HOUSES FOR POOR PEOPLE

Clearing Away Slums

HOW ENGLAND COPES WITH HOUSING PROBLEMS

On being told of Wellington' housing problems, Aiderman F. W. Cook, delegate of the Dudley (England) Chamber of Commerce to the Empire congress, yesterday described to “The Dominion” the slum clearance and housing schemes operating in Dudley, where workers can obtain clean, modern, brlck-and-tile, three-roomed houses at the remarkably low rental of 8/6 a week.

Alderman Cook is a past Mayor of Dudley, a Worcestershire town of about 60,000 inhabitants, situated about eight miles from Birmingham, in the heart of the densely-populated industrial district known as the Black Country. He has been a member of tbe Dudley Municipal Council for 30 years, and is chairman of the housing and slum clearance committoo there. “We have built already 3500 houses for working-class tenants, and we are going to build another 1500, said Aiderman Cook. “We are spending a million and a half of money. Our rent roll, including rates, is between £Booo and £9OOO a year. “The rents of these houses run from 8/6 to 16/- a week, inclusive of rates. But there arc only a few to be had at the higher price, and they are ones which were built when costs were dear. These bouses consist of three rooms, kitchen, scullery, bathroom, and samtarv amenities —but we do not provide a garage or a car I They ara well built, constructed of brick and tile. “During the war we did build some wooden houses, but some time ago we condemned them as a slum area and burned them. We burned perhaps a hundred. The reason we chose to burn them rather than to pull them down was to destroy the hugs with which they had become infested. Three Schemes.

“There are three different bousing schemes, under three separate Acts of Parliament, which we are administering. The most recent deals with slum clearance and overcrowding, and is a scheme operating right throughout the country. It. provides Government assistance for the solution of slum clearance and overcrowding difficulties. Its method of operation is this: The corporation’s medical or sanitary officer examines all houses of the area in question. If they are not up to standard they are condemned. Notice is given to the landlord, who may appeal to the court and call evidence to show why thev should not be destroyed. As a matter of fact, the cases are usually analysed so carefully that the condemnation is almost always upheld. “There are then two alternatives: The condemned property may be ordered to he destroyed, or may be compulsorily purchased. When the property has been condemned, and the landlord's appeal has failed, he must pull down the buildings and will be left with the site, which he can dispose of or rebuild upon. Under compulsory purchase, a valuation has to be made of the site, which the corporation as a rule purchases for the erection of a better type of property. “We cannot clear any slum area until wc have provided enough suitable homes for the people living there. They may refuse to go in, but we arrange the rent to meet their circumstances. If they are very poor, we help them with the rent. _ So a person of small means can go into a threebedroom house, normally rented at S/6, for as little as 4/6. We do that sort of thing regularly. But if they are getting sufficient wages to be able to afford to pay the full rent they must d.O so. This assistance is then pooled for the benefit of the rest of the. tenants; if one family doesn’t need it, it goes to a poorer.

Pride in Neu Homes. “Social workers and corporation inspectors try to educate the people up to their new surroundings and conditions, and tactfully strive to inculcate cleaner habits. We were faced wi the criticism that these people habituated to life in the slums, would merely create further slums by their low living With this in mind, I visited some of our tenants from one of the worst slum areas. I found carpets on the floors, pictures on the walls, vases ot flowers, everything as clean as possible. These people obviously took a pride in their new homes. One old lady told me she had always dreamed of heaven, but now she found she was living there! “Of course, there are a certain number of incorrigibly dirty people, but only a minority. The children have benefited tremendously. They have playgrounds, tennis courts, parks, everv amenity provided for them. We shopping areas. But we limit the number of hotel sites; we have sold two sites for hotels at a charge of £lO,OOO each.

“We are also building ’economy houses,’ ou which no subsidy is received from rates or from the Government. They have three bedrooms, main living-room and kitchen, scullery, and bathroom, with small gardens at the back and front of the house. They are entirely self-contained. These houses cost about £250 to build, ami we let them for 11/3. This pays interest, sinking fund, and road and light charges. To meet overcrowding and satisfy the needs of large families, we have built houses with four and five bedrooms; and in these cases many of the tenants have had to receive special aid. “Similar schemes are on foot throughout England. We hope that in five years’ time there will be no slums left and no overcrowding.”