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Housing

GENERAL HOUSE BUILDING SITUATION.

During the year under review the total number of houses completed in England and Wales, excluding those built for rehousing purposes in connection with slum clearance schemes, amounted to the record figure of 238,914.

The total numbers of houses completed in each of the last four years were as follows :

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The number of houses built since the Armistice is as follows:

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Of the number of 381,000 houses built without State assistance approximately 274,000 were of not more than £26 rateable value (or £35 in the Metropolitan Police District).

Local Authorities proceeded very actively with their building schemes in the earlier half of the year 1927-8. Progress was facilitated by recovery from the effects of the industrial stoppage of 1926. Owing also to the announcement, at the end of 1926, of the reduction of the rates of Exchequer grant for houses completed after 30th September, 1927, there was an acceleration in the completion before the 1st October of houses on which work would ordinarily have extended later. This was followed by a quieter period, but for the year as a whole the number of State-aided houses completed reached the figure of 178,582, an increase of 24,803 on the year 1926-7. At the same time the prices of houses included in Local Authorities' contracts have shown a remarkable drop since the announcement of the reduction in the rate of Exchequer grant. The average figures for a non-parlour and parlour house during the last quarter of 1926 were £448 and £513 respectively: whilst the corresponding figures for the quarter ended March 31, 1928, were £368 and £437.

* This figure includes an estimated figure of 30,000 houses built between the Armistice and October, 1922, for which period exact statistics of the number of houses built without State assistance are not available.

The year shows a considerable increase in the number of houses built by Local Authorities, whilst the production of houses by private enterprise has maintained its level:

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It will be seen that, of the 238,914 houses completed during the year, 178,582 were built with, and 60,332 without, State assistance. Further details of the progress of assisted housing schemes during the year are given in Appendix V (page 259 below).

Houses in Agricultural Parishes.

General statistics are not available as to the numbers of houses erected in agricultural parishes. The Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924, however, provided for an additional subsidy for houses, subject to the special conditions prescribed in the Act, built in such parishes. Up to March 31, 1928, 12,865 houses, subject to these special conditions, had been included in schemes submitted by 281 Local Authorities and authorized under that Act by the Minister for erection in agricultural parishes; and at that date 10,195 of these houses had been completed and 889 were under construction.

Prices of Building Materials.

The Inter-Departmental Committee appointed in April, 1923, to survey the prices of building materials and to receive and consider complaints in respect thereof, continued the presentation of their periodical reports on the prices of building materials in various parts of the country. Prices generally have fallen during the year.

Cost of Houses.

The following table shows the quarterly average prices of houses included in contracts let by, or in direct labour schemes of, Local Authorities during the last three years :

1925-26 Quarter ended

June, 1925

September, 1925

December, 1925

March, 1926

1970

Non-Parlour Parlour

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PAYMENTS OF EXCHEQUER SUBSIDY.

Since the War the total payments of Exchequer subsidy in respect of housing have been as follows:

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Under the Housing, Town Planning, etc.

...

...

Act, 1919
Under the Housing (Additional Powers) Act,

1919

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Under the Housing, etc. Act, 1923 ..

£

...

49,263,475

9,493,155

3,000,001

...

1,732,026

26,000

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Under the Housing (Financial Provisions)
Act, 1924

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...

Grants towards cottages for tuberculous ex

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During the year 1927-28 the total amount of Exchequer subsidy paid was:

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The Estimates for the year 1928-29 contain provision for £10,665,000 in respect of housing subsidies.

RENTS HOUSING, TOWN PLANNING, ETC. ACT, 1919.

At the 31 March, 1928, the average rent (excluding rates, etc.) for all types of houses erected under the provisions of the Housing, Town Planning, etc. Act, 1919, was 9s. 5d. per week.

ASSISTANCE TOWARDS HOUSE BUILDING AFFORDED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES BY WAY OF LOANS OR GUARANTEES.

Apart from the grant of subsidies, assistance continued to be afforded by Local Authorities in the promotion of house building by way of loan.

The following statement shows the total amount of loans sanctioned and advances made for the promotion of the purchase and construction of houses during the year :

Loans sanctioned by the Minister or by the
London County Council:-

Under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts

Loans sanctioned by the Minister:

Under section 92 (1) (a) of the Housing Act,
1925

...

...

£

7,976,433

...

3,370,291

Direct advances agreed to be made by the London
County Council:-

Under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts
Under section 92 (1) (a) of the Housing Act,
1925

...

...

53,300

...

617,660

Advances by the Corporation of Birmingham:Under special powers and in connexion with their Municipal Bank

437,988

...

...

£12,455,672

The corresponding totals for the four previous years were as follows:

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£

3.227.496

8,296,299

14,287,495

15,471,531

During the year guarantees to Building Societies were given by 60 Local Authorities for repayment of advances in respect of 3,128 houses.

ACTION UNDER PARTS I AND II OF THE HOUSING ACT, 1925. During the year under review reports by Medical Officers of Health were received for the year 1926..

In 1,744 Districts for which returns were tabulated 427,226 houses were inspected under the Housing (Inspection of District) Regulations and the total number of houses inspected, including inspections under the Public Health Acts, was 1,164,875. Defects. in 302,739 houses were remedied without the service of formal notices. Notices under section 3 of the Housing Act, 1925, were served in respect of 31,053 houses, and of these houses 20,929 were rendered fit by their owners and 817 by the Local Authorities,

while in 675 cases the owners gave notice of their intention to close the houses. Notices were served under the Public Health Acts in respect of 296,012 houses; in 255,636 of the houses the defects were remedied by the owners, and in 3,488 by the Local Authorities. The figures as to Closing and Demolition Orders were as follows:

Representations made with a view to Closing

Orders

...

...

Dwelling houses in respect of which Closing Orders
were made

...

...

...

...

Closing Orders determined after houses were made
fit

...

...

...

...

...

...

4,215

...

3,009

486

...

752

Dwelling houses in respect of which Demolition
Orders were made
Dwelling houses demolished in pursuance of
Demolition Orders ...

621

UNHEALTHY AREAS.

Between 1919 and March 31, 1928, 87 Local Authorities submitted 118 schemes for the improvement of insanitary areas. Of these schemes, 93, involving the demolition of 12,150 houses and other buildings, had been confirmed by March 31, 1927.

During the year 18 schemes, involving the demolition of 1,555 houses and other buildings, were confirmed.

Particulars of these 18 schemes are as follows:

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