FOI request (FOIR-508350961)

Reconnections

Requested Mon 19 June 2023
Responded Mon 19 June 2023

Please can you send me information on accommodating rough sleepers, and your policy of 'reconnecting' EU Nationals. For the purposes of this request 'reconnection' is defined as the process of supporting EU Citizens to return, in a planned way, to an area where they have family and social networks and/or where they can access accommodation if someone does not have access to benefits/public funds, has no or very limited employment prospects, cannot access private rented accommodation and is homeless in unsuitable accommodation.

Can you send me information on:

1. How many rough sleepers in your local authority area were accommodated in total between (a) 01 October 2020 - 30 June 2021, and then (b) 01 July 2021 - 01 April 2023?

2. How many of the rough sleepers accommodated at any time during these periods (a) 01 October 2020 - 30 June 2021, and then (b) 01 July 2021 - 01 April 2023 are/were considered to be No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)?

3. How many of the rough sleepers accommodated at any time during these periods (a) 01 October 2020 - 30 June 2021, and then (b) 01 July 2021-01 April 2023 are/were EU nationals?

4. Have any rough sleepers placed in accommodation during this time (a) 01 October 2020 - 30 June 2021, and then (b) 01 July 2021 - 01 April 2023 been supported through a reconnection service to another part of the UK or to return to country of origin as well as information on the age, gender, nationality and marital status of those who have subsequently accessed a reconnection service.

5. Information (if any) more broadly on the number of people (excluding rough sleepers - as asked above) who have been supported through a reconnection service to another part of the UK or to return to country of origin as well as information on the age, gender, nationality and marital status of those who have accessed a reconnection service.

6. Information on the source of funding for reconnecting/supporting people to another part of the UK return to their country of origin?

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Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

1a. 160

1b. 308

2a. 139x Yes, 2x No, 19x Not recorded

2b. 234x Yes, 7x No, 67x Not recorded

3a. 147x UK Nationals, 8x EEA Nationals, 5x Other/Unknown

3b. 280x UK Nationals, 12x EEA Nationals, 16x Other/Unknown

4. Marital status is not recorded.

4a. 2x British male, age 25 and 29

4b. 1x British female, age 53

See information in (5) below.

5. Hastings Borough Council does not have an actual reconnection service. However, we can provide travel rail warrants or bus tickets to another part of the UK on a case by case basis.

6. On a case by case basis, we provide travel warrants or bus tickets (purchased via money taken from petty cash) to people to return back to another part of the UK. None have been to their country of origin.