Housing Act, 1964

Published date01 March 1965
Date01 March 1965
AuthorD. G. Valentine
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2230.1965.tb01057.x
200
THE
MODERN
LAW
REVIEW
\‘or..
28
object is that of avoiding statelessness: the price is the easy accep-
tance of the possibility
of
plural nationality. But the legislation
of some states requires an applicant to have divested himself of his
former status before he becomes locally naturalised. Nationalism
may carry the fear of plural nationality to lengths which might
seem inordinate to one who overlooked centuries of the rule
nemo
potest exuere patriam.
It
is needless to add that the Act perpetuates what the writer
believes to be the unnecessary evil of the Home Secretary’s absolute
and unreviewable discretion.
It
is paradoxical that a nation which
in its nationality laws shows itself rational and mature should
perpetuate such anachronistic administrative processes.
One may
hope that in the course of its general overhaul of the machinery
of
government the new administration will in the broad sphere
of
citizenship and movement
not
disappoint the widely-held
expectations of greater executive frankness and liberalism.
CEDRIC
THORNBERRY.
HOUSING
ACT,
1964
THE
Housing Act of
1964
deals with the thorny problem of sub-
standard housing.
It
embodies two main principles: first, that
local authorities are to continue advancing money
to
individuals
for
the improvement of their
own
housing and, secondly, that where
there
is
a whole area
of
substandard dwellings let
to
tenants, the
landlord, at his
own
expense, may
be
compelled to bring the
dwellings up to standard.
Improvement Grants
It
will be remembered that previously local authorities had been
empowered to make an improvement grant
to
private owners to
assist them in the conversion of their property
so
as to provide
additional accommodation
or
the improvement of already existing
accommodation.*
It
was a condition for obtaining the grant, how-
ever, that the applicant either owned the land absolutely
or
owned
a leasehold interest in
it
with thirty years still to
run.*
This period
was subsequently reduced to fifteen years.* The
1964
Act reduces
it
yet again, this time to only five years.*
When an improvement grant was given, certain statutory
conditions were imposed, the
main
ones being that
if
the accommo-
dation improved
or
created by means of the conversion was not
occupied by the applicant for the grant
or
by
a
member of his
1
Almost the whole
of
the Act ceme
into
form
in
July
end
August
1964-n.
108
(4)
and
(6).
2
Housing (Financial
Provisions)
Act,
1968,
6.
90.
8
Ibid.
6.
31 (3).
4
House
Purchase and
Houaing
Act,
1969,
6.
10.
5
Houaing
Act,
1964,
n.
63.

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