HOUSING IN LONDON Housing in London presents a problem of special difficulty owing to the magnitude of the urbanized area and the extent of the movements of population which take place from one part to another. It has long been customary to think of London as a city the population of which has been increasing, not only by the natural increase due to excess of births over deaths, but by attracting population from the country or other parts of the world. This has long ceased to be the case. The census of 1911 first revealed the fact that the population in the area adminis tered by the London County Council was actually decreasing, and the census of 1921 showed a still further decrease for that area. The census of 1911 further showed that the excess of emigration over increase and immigration even from Greater London to places more than 3o miles from the centre, could not have been less than 187,000 persons in the period of ten years previous to that census. The census of 1921 has shown that this tendency has increased, and that both the County of London and Greater London have each in the period 1911 to 1921 failed to hold their natural increase of population and have sent out emigrants. It is interesting to note, however, that the inter census period 1901 and 1911 revealed a very great movement of population into the outer ring, a tendency the checking of which by the want of housing accommodation is revealed by the census of 1921. The annexed table giving these figures in detail, is an interesting record of very great movements of population ; num bers equivalent to the total population of large towns having moved from the County of London to the outer ring, or from Greater London to other places, during the inter-census decades : table gives the necessary rentals per annum and per week for cottages of the different costs named, which would be required to meet the outgoings with inclusive rates for interest and repay ment of loan of 31%, 42% and 52% respectively: Price of Money.—It will be noticed that a drop of 1% in in terest charged is equivalent in its effect upon rent to a consider able reduction in cost. The range in rates of interest represents approximately that applicable to municipal houses for pre-war and present periods. For dwellings financed by private enterprise, and where it is intended that the rentals shall yield something more than bare interest on costs a higher percentage would have to be allowed, to make the venture profitable. On the other hand, it may be said that private enterprise can build more cheaply than the municipality. Recent evidence based on selling prices does not suggest, however, that they are in fact able to provide similar dwellings at an all-in figure less than the total cost of those built by the municipalities, or to let them at lower rents.
But for this outward movement of population the need for dwellings in London would have been much greater than has been the case. When the supply of dwellings in London is sufficient to leave freedom for normal movements the tendency to move out from the centre to the suburbs, which was so marked in the period 1901-1911 may again become more active.
The increasing pressure on dwelling accommodation in London even before the war is indicated by the proportion of empty dwellings recorded by the L.C.C. on their many housing estates, as shown by the percentage of rental loss due to empties in each year. During the war there was further increase of pressure and the loss diminished. The following table shows the changes which have taken place. The figures seem to indicate a certain relaxation of pressure, but it is stated that the increase of empties is partly due to the holding of a number of new houses on the various estates for short periods to meet the special needs of certain groups of tenants.
By the various local authorities 52,199 „ trusts or public utility societies . 2,245 „ private enterprise, including houses of all classes . 97,691 152,135 Up to Dec. 31, 1927 the London County Council had built altogether since the Armistice 24,085 dwellings. Of these 1,632 were tenements to meet rehousing obligations under the slum clearance schemes leaving a net addition of 22,453 dwellings. The council had taken steps to deal with 23 unhealthy areas covering 98 acres. This would involve displacing 28,500 persons, of whom rehousing must be provided for 27,000 persons, 20,000 in the cleared sites and 7,000 elsewhere.