[Report 1943] / Medical Officer of Health, Wrexham R.D.C.

  • Wrexham (Wales). Rural District Council.
Date:
1943
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1943] / Medical Officer of Health, Wrexham R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    12 with the high costs has made it difficult, especially for small property owners, to carry out even essential repairs and it is feared that many houses in the area, through lack or attention, will have deteriorated to such an extent that it will not be possible to render them fit at a reasonable cost. This aspect is regret- table in as much as the present housing conditions demand that until a sufficient accommodation is provided to rehouse the occupants these houses will have to be occupied indefinitely. OVERCROWDING. Overcrowding in the area appears to become more acute each year, and this is only what can be expected in view of the large number of border line cases of overcrowding which existed before the war. Although it is impossible to assess the actual extent of overcrowding without a complete survey of all houses, from personal observation it appears that the worst cases exist in the smaller type of house which is the least suitable for human habitation. There is, however, a danger of exaggerating the present position. At the same time, sufficient instances of acute overcrowding are known to state definitely that the health and the moral standards of the families are affected by the conditions under which they are compelled to live. The problem will no doubt be accentuated in the post-war period when service men are demobilised and return to join their wives who at present reside with their parents, and cases are known where there will be at least four families in the houses. In an attempt to alleviate the present situation, the Govern- ment issued a Circular 2848 (Wales) to Local Authorities, giving them powers to requisition houses which could be adapted to accommodate families already inadequately housed. A sur\^ey of the area revealed that vacant houses which could be used had already been requisitioned and occupied by other Government Departments. Representations were made to the Minister of Health for permission to include 25 houses, in respect of which Demolition Orders had been made, within the scope of this order, and approval was granted, and the houses requisitioned. A schedule of neces- sary repairs was prepared and after some difficulty, contractors were secured to carry out the work but it was not possible to have them completed before the end of the year. An indication of the great need for houses can be measured from the very large number of applications received as soon as it became known that the Council were preparing to repair such houses. HOUSES OCCUPIED BY PERSONS RENDERED HOMELESS BY ENEMY ACTION. New licences were issued in respect of condemned properties