FOI request (FOIR-676004264)

Social Housing Provision

Requested Mon 06 January 2025
Responded Wed 22 January 2025

I am writing to formally request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 pertaining to the provision of social housing within your local authority. In accordance with the aforementioned Act, I hereby request the disclosure of the following data:

1. Current Social Housing Occupancy: The number of people currently placed in social housing.

2. Temporary Accommodation Usage: Of the individuals referenced in query 1, the number currently residing in temporary accommodation facilities, including but not limited to hotels and hostels.

3. Local Residency in Social Housing: Of the total number of individuals in social housing (Q1), the number who are native to the area, defined as having been born or raised within the region.

4. Home Office Placements: The total number of individuals placed under the care of the council by the Home Office or any other governmental body since the beginning of the 2014 calendar year.

5. Demographic Breakdown: A breakdown of the individuals referenced in query 1, categorised by ethnicity and age range.

6. Homelessness and Housing Instability: An estimation of the number of individuals within the council area who are currently experiencing homelessness or residing in unsuitable housing conditions.

7. Waiting List Duration: The current average waiting time for social housing, categorised by eligibility band as defined by the council's allocation policy.

8. Social Housing Expenditure: A breakdown of the council's current expenditure on social housing, categorised by housing type (houses, flats, HMOs, hostels, hotels) per year for the last 10 years.

9. Asylum Seekers in Temporary Accommodation: Of those individuals residing in temporary accommodation (Q2), the number who are currently awaiting the adjudication of an asylum application.

10. Asylum Seeker Housing Policy: A detailed explanation of the council's current policy for housing individuals whose asylum applications have been granted. This explanation should include:

a. Procedures for transitioning individuals from temporary to more permanent accommodation.

b. The eligibility band assigned to such individuals within the council's housing allocation scheme.

c. The criteria and scoring methodology used to determine the housing band for this specific cohort, including any deviations from the standard operating procedure for housing allocation.

Response

1. The council completed a large scale voluntary transfer of its social housing stock in 1996 and now only has a relatively small housing portfolio which is used for temporary accommodation. Social housing in the borough is owned and managed by a number of Registered Providers (housing associations), the 2 largest are Orbit and Southern Housing.

The Regulator of Social Housing holds information on social housing stock which can be found on the .gov.uk website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/registered-provider-social-housing-stock-and-rents-in-england-2023-to-2024

2. Please see Q1 above.

3. Information not held, please see 1 above.

4. There are no individuals placed in the care of the council by the Home Office. The responsibility of accommodating asylum seekers is that of the government's contracted provider, Clearsprings Ready Homes.

5. Information not held, please see 1 above.

6. For information on homelessness please see .gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

7. For wait times please see:

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

8. Please see Q1 above.

9. Nil. All asylum seekers are accommodated by the government's contracted provider, Clearsprings Ready Homes.

10. The policy for assessing those granted asylum is the same as it is for all individuals presenting to the local authority as homeless. The council follows the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and the Code of Guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-local-authorities