FOI request (FOIR-308224789)

Housing Waiting List

Requested Tue 16 February 2021
Responded  Mon 22 February 2021

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

1. With regard to the authority's housing waiting list, how many households were removed from the list in the last full year where figures are available?

2. Can you list the reasons given for the removal from the list?

3. How many households were removed from the list because of death?

4. How many households have been on the list for:

a) between five years and ten years

b) ten years or more

5. With regards to household that has been on the list the longest, how long have they been on the list?

6. Can you provide the same figures provided for questions 1, 2 and 3 for each of the last ten years or as far back as the cost limit will allow?

Response

Q1, Q2 and Q3 are based on all housing register records with case status recorded as 'Removed'. These figures will include some cases that were not made 'live' on the housing register. For example, where a household failed to provide all their supporting documents as part of their housing register application, such as proof of id/address, medical information and so on.

Q1 - How many households were 'removed' from the housing register:

2011 = 1328

2012 = 799

2013 = 4674

(New Homemove Allocation Scheme was implemented and after reviewing each case, many households were removed from the housing register as they no longer met the criteria as per the new Homemove Allocation Scheme)

2014 = 267

2015 = 366

2016 = 156

2017 = 372

2018 = 220

2019 = 1149

2020 = 1223

Q2 and Q3

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information requested in respect of Q2 and Q3 would require us to manually check each record and would far exceed the time limit set out by the Information Commissioner therefore under S12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000 provides an exemption from the obligation to comply with a request for information if the estimated costs of complying with that request would exceed the prescribed appropriate limit.

We estimate that the costs of complying with your request would exceed the appropriate limit by a significant amount.

For this reason we feel unable to comply with these questions.

However, regarding Q2 the reasons for removal would include for example:

• household failed to provide documents as part of their housing register application, for example, proof of ID, address, medical information and so on

• household not eligible to join housing register, for example, they did not meet criteria to join our housing register as per our Homemove Allocation Scheme

• annual review form/change of circumstances not completed/returned

• change in household's circumstances

• household asked to be removed

• death

• implementation of new Homemove Allocation schemes therefore household no longer eligible to remain on housing register

Q4 - As at 16/02/2021 there are 1418 households currently 'live' on our housing register, of which:

(a) been on the list between five years and ten years = 177 households

(b) been on the list ten years or more = 28 households

Q5 - 15 years