FOI request (FOIR-630302888)

Vacant Council Properties

Requested Fri 12 July 2024
Responded Fri 20 September 2024

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The main purpose of this request is to gather data on vacant council properties in the United Kingdom.

For clarification, this includes all forms of social housing in the ward of the council, including Housing Association. Specifically, I am seeking information on the following:

1. Number of vacant homes:

a. The number of vacant council properties.

b. The number of vacant Housing Association properties.

2.Reasons for vacancy:

a. Breakdown of reasons why said social housing properties are vacant (for example, awaiting repairs, legal issues, not meeting the Decent Homes Standard, and so on).

3. Waiting list size:

a. How many residents are currently on the waiting list for social housing?

4. Waiting list length:

a. The average length of the waiting list for a council property.

b. The average length of the waiting list for a Housing Association property.

Please provide the information in electronic format, preferably as an Excel spreadsheet or CSV file. Please avoid sending PDFs or Word documents if possible.

If you cannot provide the information exactly as requested, please provide any relevant data you have and explain why the other information cannot be provided.

If you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

Hastings Borough Council did a large scale voluntary transfer of its housing stock in 1996 and subsequently only has a small portfolio of homes used for temporary accommodation.

1a. As at 31/03/2024, 16 units.

1b. Information not held. This information is held by the Regulator of Social Housing:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/regulator-of-social-housing

2a. This information is only held for vacant council-owned properties:

10x units identified for disposal - these are not social housing.

15x units recently acquired and being refurbished - 10 are social housing.

1x unit not ready to let - this is not social housing.

3a. 17117

4. We have one Housing Register which has properties nominated by local Housing Associations. You will have to contact Housing Associations directly for information on any waiting lists they manage.

The council's website sets out information on how long people have to wait for social housing by band and how many people are on the Housing Register:

https://www.hastings.gov.uk/housing/social_housing/new/