Housing of the Working Classes.
The work of the London County Council in connection wri th the hous-
ing of the working classes may be briefly described as that appertain-
ing,first, to the clearance of insanitary areas together with the provi
sion of rehousing acc omnodation for persons of the working class dis-
placed; secondly, to the erection of dwellings for rehousing persons who
may be displaced by the widening of streets, the construction of tun-
nels, bridges, etc.;and thirdly, to the provision of working class
dwellings inside or outside the county, independently of any displace-
ments which it may have effected.
Slun Clearance Schemes.
The Council has completed 6 schemes undertaken by its predecessor,
the Metropolitan Board of Works, and has carried out i schemes
for the clearance of insanitary property in v imately 52 acres. In
arts of the Coun-
The land cleared has a total are
ty.
of the working class have been is-
d1smlaced by the Council. Rehousing
connection therev
placed, n for 17,719 persons has been provided. The net cost of
acco
carrying the schemes into effect will anount to about h1,200,000.
In addition the Council has assisted, by contributing towards the
cost, in carrying into effect schemes undertaken by local authorities
for clearing small insanitary areas to the extent of about 8 acres, at
an estimated cost of h191,850.
Displacements on account of Public Improvements.
In connection with the carrying out of street inprovements,con-
structing bridges, tunnels, etc., the Council has provided accormoda-
tion in new durellings for 12,496 persons in lieu of that destroyed.
Erection of Drellings.
Prior to 1889, when the Council came into office, the Metropolitan
Board of Works, in carrying into effect schemes for the improvemaent of
insanitary areas, had always ceased executive operations with the de-
molition of the old peoperty and the provision of rehousing sites.
prac 14 o oirer the land prepared their
e
tiz-
and
The larger number of the
V tin
managing the dvellings vhich had to be built.
cleared sites had been sold by the Board and new accormodations had
been provided for 27,780 persons, partly by the Peabody Trustees, who
had co-operated with the Board in clearing several of the insanitary
areas, partly by several of the artizans dwellings companies, and part
ly by private individuals. Repeated efforts were made by the Council
to follow the practice of the Board by selling these cleared sites, sub-
ject to the cbligation to provide working class dwellings upon them.
As it was unsuccessful, with two exceptions, in obtaining bryers for
the sites, the Council determined itself to undertake the erection and
management of the necessary dwellings and this policy has since been
followed in all cases.
paid attention to the probable financial results of such undertakings,
and its standing orders require that all dwellings shall be so designed
that the cost of erection may not exceed a sum which will enable all
outgoings, interest and sinking fund charges to be paid without placing
a charge upon the County taxes, and the rents to be charged are not to
exceed those ruling in the neighborhood.
In 1898 the Council decided to undertake the erection of dwellings
for the working classes apart from the rehousing required in connection
with clearance and iprovenent schenes, and up to March 31, 1909, it
had thus provided accommo dation for 14,731 persons
In deciding on this 1ine of acti.on the Council
