2 AUGUST 1930, Page 9

Practical Idealism in Housing

MUCH has been written since the summer of 1929 about the Tenants' Social Centre, which was then opened on one of the larger South London housing estates under my control, where many hundreds of families of the working and artisan classes have their homes. The centre, however, the first venture of its kind attempted by private enterprise as a commercial under- taking designed to mitigate the national housing evil, has monopolized the attention of those who are interested in such developments to the exclusion of a more recent and parallel venture, which has been no less effective in its results—an " Ideal Flat," opened sonic twelve months ago as an adjunct of the Centre.

During the past thirty years the homes of the wealthier classes of England have grown steadily more comfortable, more hygienic and more economical. Ideal Home exhi- bitions attract every year increasing numbers of people genuinely interested in the latest labour-saving device or the most up-to-date method of furnishing. But there is a class to which Ideal Home exhibitions, however at- tractive to the general public, make no appeal, for refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and the like are of little practical interest to them. They are the poor—the working classes " and the great artisan population of England.

As the Tenants' Social Centre puts at the disposal of the tenants, together with certain social amenities otherwise unobtainable by them, means of educating themselves in household management and the care of health, both of young and old, so the " Ideal Flat " presents to them practical means of educating themselves in the wise and economical equipment of their homes. The two are, therefore, supplementary and closely interlinked—being, in fact, under the single direction of the matron of the Centre.

The " Ideal Flat " contains a small lobby, living room, combined kitchen and scullery, lavatory, parlour or small bedroom, and two large bedrooms. These have been provided with modern improvements of furniture, decora- tion and equipment which I should like to see adopted by every one of my tenants. The flat is opened at regular hours each day, and the tenants of the estate are en- couraged to inspect it during these hours, when the matron or some other qualified person is in attendance to explain and demonstrate its contents. Every item of equipment and decoration is marked with the weekly rental at which it can be hired.

Examination of the records of improvements adopted by tenants directly from the " Ideal Hat " within the first twelve months of its operation has shown that the occupants of no fewer than 263 flats have been influenced to instal in their own homes as many as 497 improvements. This result is the more encouraging since the Ilat was rarely visited during the first two months of its existence, and the adoption of improvements from it in any con- siderable numbers did not begin until the third month.

To select wherever possible those improvements which observation has shown the tenants to stand in need of most has been the principle on which selections have been made for the equipment of the " Ideal Flat." Much of the success of the enterprise is due to the careful study of their needs by the leading London business house which undertook the furnishing of the flat. Observation showed that a large majority of the familied tenants preferred to bath their babies in the shallow sinks pro- vided for the washing of cooking utensils and household crockery. It will not, therefore, be surprising that the list of improvements adopted in the first twelve months is headed by no fewer than 138 specially constructed sinks, capable of containing a depth of warm water adequate for the needs of the most fastidious of infants. Next. on the list comes the installation of 123 pedestal water closets, in many respects more hygienic than the older type of water closet with which the flats are fitted. These are followed by 57 tiled fireplaces fitted with a slow com- bustion grate and attractive mantelpiece, 55 gas coppers and 32 portable enclosed kitchen ranges of a modern pattern.

There is one improvement which might be thought to be a necessity in tenement flats, where, through the queerest anomaly of the Rent Restrictions Act, over- crowding becomes an uncontrollable factor—namely, a wall covering which is at once vermin-proof, washable and decorative. It is only the high price of this composition that prohibits its use as a standard. In spite of its high cost, however, it has been adopted by no fewer than 24 tenants.

The remaining improvements adopted arc, briefly : 22 baths fitted with a special cover for use as a table or ironing board ; 19 installations of tiling round the new deep sinks ; 13 coke bunkers of a compact type, occupying a minimum of space in a wall recess, and surmounted by a wall cupboard ; 9 built-in wardrobe cupboards, and 5 dustless coke-burning fires lit by a gas jet and requiring little attention for the maintenance of a steady heat.

The weekly cost to the tenants of the hire of these improvements varies with individual circumstances, and may range from 3d. for the pedestal water closet, tiling, or coke bunker and china cupboard to 10d. for the coke- burning gas fire or Is. for the covering of a large room with the special wall decoration. The 263 tenants by whom they have been adopted arc, in fact, paying an average weekly rental of 0d. for each of these improve- ments.

The " Ideal Flat " has already effected a classification of tenants. It has revealed, among many hundreds, those who have benefited from the educational activities of the Social Centre and have gained from it a new pride in the conduct, comfort and cleanliness of their homes. If, as I expect, this example is largely followed, and the development of a general pride in the home ensues, I hope it may be possible through the resulting diminution of the overhead costs of estate administration and repairs, to encourage the movement still further by the provision of some assistance in the acquisition of improvements.

In the meantime it can, I think, fairly he claimed for the " Ideal Flat " that it is bringing families of the working and artisan classes to a new standard of home life, in which they are coming to regard the luxuries of yesterday as essentials. And more, it is producing contented tenants, good citizens, and—as a natural consequence—