FOI request (FOIR-762213039)

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  The request seeks to understand how your authority funds and manages housing and homelessness services and any public‑private partnerships. If any of the requested information is already publicly available, please provide a link or reference.

1. Please provide the following data relating to housing and homelessness:

• The total number of households supported through homelessness services in most recent financial year
• Year on year total and percentage change
• Total expenditure on homelessness and associated services in most recent financial year
• Year on year total and percentage change
• As a percentage of total budget, expenditure on homelessness and associated services in most recent financial year
• Total number of nights spent in temporary accommodation in most recent financial year
• Year on year total and percentage change

2. Furthermore, where recorded, please provide data on outcomes or success rates for the following types of intervention:

• Temporary accommodation
• Rapid rehousing
• Supported housing schemes

3. Please provide the details on the funding sources for these services (central government grants, local council tax, business rates, housing revenue account, rental income, capital receipts, private investment, charity/voluntary sector contributions, etc.), with approximate amounts or percentages.
4. Please set out, as a percentage, the proportion of homelessness related spending in the most recent financial year associated with homelessness prevention.
5. Please provide a list of active public‑private partnerships, joint ventures or similar arrangements through which the authority delivers housing or homelessness services. For each partnership please provide:

                                                              i.      Name of the private partner(s) (e.g. company or charity).

                                                            ii.      Date of commencement and duration of the contract or agreement. 

                                                          iii.      Purpose and scope (e.g., management of temporary accommodation, development of affordable homes, regeneration project). 

                                                           iv.      Funding structure – the proportion of budget provided by the authority versus the private partner

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  The request seeks to understand how your authority funds and manages housing and homelessness services and any public‑private partnerships. If any of the requested information is already publicly available, please provide a link or reference.

1. Please provide the following data relating to housing and homelessness:

• The total number of households supported through homelessness services in most recent financial year
• Year on year total and percentage change
• Answer: This information is available to view on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness
• Total expenditure on homelessness and associated services in most recent financial year
• Year on year total and percentage change
• Answer: For 2024/25, the total expenditure on homelessness and associated services was £15,982,000.  This was a 9.6% increase on 2023/24.
• As a percentage of total budget, expenditure on homelessness and associated services in most recent financial year
• Answer: As a percentage of the total budget within the Housing Directorate, this represents 79%.

• Total number of nights spent in temporary accommodation in most recent financial year
• Year on year total and percentage change
• Answer:  For 2024/25 = 215573 nights, this was an 8.83% increase on 2023/24

2. Furthermore, where recorded, please provide data on outcomes or success rates for the following types of intervention:

• Temporary accommodation –
• Answer: This information is available to view on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness
• Rapid rehousing
• Answer: N/A
• Supported housing schemes
• Answer: The supported housing schemes that we have are all for temporary accommodation properties, see temporary accommodation above.

3. Please provide the details on the funding sources for these services (central government grants, local council tax, business rates, housing revenue account, rental income, capital receipts, private investment, charity/voluntary sector contributions, etc.), with approximate amounts or percentages.

Answer:

It is not possible to split the “other council funding” figure into local council tax, business rates, capital receipts etc as this information is not held.

4. Please set out, as a percentage, the proportion of homelessness related spending in the most recent financial year associated with homelessness prevention.

Answer: Of the figure given in Q1, the percentage associated with homelessness prevention is 18.6%.

5. Please provide a list of active public‑private partnerships, joint ventures or similar arrangements through which the authority delivers housing or homelessness services. For each partnership please provide: Answer: Information not held - We do not have any.

                                     i.    Name of the private partner(s) (e.g. company or charity).

                                    ii.    Date of commencement and duration of the contract or agreement. 

                                   iii.    Purpose and scope (e.g., management of temporary accommodation, development of affordable homes, regeneration project). 

                                   iv.    Funding structure – the proportion of budget provided by the authority versus the private partner