The Maryhill (Gairbraid Avenue) Housing Treatment Area, comprising 399 houses and eight business addresses, was declared in October 1970. When rehousing began in July 1971, only 352 dwellings were occupied, so that, at an estimated three persons per house, the total population of Gairbraid did not then much exceed a thousand. By prohibiting people from moving into areas that have been earmarked for clearance, the local authority aims to curtail ‘queue jumping’ on to the house waiting list and is thus able to ‘freeze’ the numbers whom it has a responsibility to rehouse. Under the 1969 Act, houses may be dealt with either by demolition, improvement or by a combination of both. Gairbraid had been designated a housing treatment area for total demolition. The control of occupation order with its complicated legalese, confusion and non-information, exemplifies the Corporation’s attitude to the local community throughout the entire rehousing process and provides the background to Gairbraid’s decision to form its own organization.