Rehousing Out of Area

The request was partially successful.

Dear Greenwich Borough Council,

I would like information about the numbers of homeless households being moved both out of and into the local authority area and where they are being moved to and from. I am aware from your reporting requirements to central government that you hold this information but only part of it is released through DCLG statistical updates.

I understand that under Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 there is a duty to assist and advise the requester and would appreciate your advice if you think my questions need any clarification in order to get the information that I am looking for.

Please disclose the following information:

1. For each year since 2010, please provide a month by month breakdown of the total number of homeless households the local authority has rehoused in another local authority area. For each household rehoused, please indicate:

- the total number of people rehoused

- the local authority area they were moved to

- whether this was temporary or settled accommodation

- whether they were allocated either council / social housing or a private rental tenancy

2. For each year since 2010, please provide a month by month breakdown of the total number of homeless households the local authority has agreed to rehouse from another local authority area. For each household rehoused, please indicate:

- the total number of people rehoused

- the local authority area they were received

- whether this was temporary or settled accommodation

- whether they were allocated either council / social housing or a private rental tenancy.

Yours faithfully,

David Adams

foi, Greenwich Borough Council

Dear Mr Adams

Freedom of Information request: FOI-12626

Thank you for your request dated March 13, 2018

Your request will be answered by April 12, 2018

If you have any queries about this request, please contact me, quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely,

Jackie Jago
Head of Corporate Services
Corporate Services
Directorate of Central Services
Royal Borough of Greenwich

020 8921 5044
 Room 20 Basement The Town Hall, Wellington Street, London SE18 6PW
www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk

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foi, Greenwich Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Adams

Freedom of Information request: FOI-12626

Thank you for your request dated 13 March 2018

Our response is as follows:

1. For each year since 2010, please provide a month by month breakdown of the total number of homeless households the local authority has rehoused in another local authority area. For each household rehoused, please indicate:
- the total number of people rehoused
- the local authority area they were moved to
- whether this was temporary or settled accommodation
- whether they were allocated either council / social housing or a private rental tenancy

In order to satisfy its homelessness duties the Royal Borough of Greenwich uses various forms of temporary accommodation. Two forms of accommodation used are Nightly Paid Privately Managed accommodation and Leased accommodation, of which some properties are in other Local Authority areas. In addition the Council has also assisted households with private rented sector accommodation as settled accommodation in order to prevent/relieve their homelessness, of which some of these properties are in other Local Authority areas. The attached spread sheet shows a month by month breakdown of all the placements made by the Royal Borough of Greenwich since 2010 to other local authority areas for the forms of accommodation specified above. It is not possible to detail the number of people within each household.

2. For each year since 2010, please provide a month by month breakdown of the total number of homeless households the local authority has agreed to rehouse from another local authority area. For each household rehoused, please indicate:
- the total number of people rehoused
- the local authority area they were received
- whether this was temporary or settled accommodation
- whether they were allocated either council / social housing or a private rental tenancy.

Local authorities are not required to gain agreement from other authorities when placing a household in temporary accommodation or private sector accommodation in order to prevent/relieve their homelessness in that borough. Therefore the Royal Borough of Greenwich does not hold details of households placed within the borough by other boroughs.
Under section 198 of the 1996 Housing Act, local authorities can refer a homeless household to another local authority if they have a local connection with that borough and not with their own borough. Since 2010 the Royal Borough of Greenwich has accepted 12 referrals from other local authorities. The referring borough and the month of the referral of those 12 cases are as follows,
Referring Borough Month
Unknown Feb 10
Kensington and Chelsea Mar 10
Hillingdon Jun 10
Kingston Mar 14
Lewisham Nov 15
Southwark Nov 15
Newham Nov 15
Southwark Mar 16
Medway May 16
Southwark May 17
Westminster Oct 17
Newham Nov 17

All of the above would have been placed into council temporary accommodation following the acceptance of the referral. It is not possible to detail the number of people within each household.

If you have any queries about this correspondence, please contact me, quoting the reference number above.

If you are not satisfied with our response to your request, you can ask for an Internal Review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original request. If you wish to do this, please contact us, setting out why you are dissatisfied.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the Internal Review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner (ICO) for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the Internal Review procedure provided by the Council. You can contact the ICO by emailing [email address], or by post at Customer Contact, Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely,

Jackie Jago
Head of Corporate Services
Corporate Services
Directorate of Central Services
Royal Borough of Greenwich

020 8921 5044
 Room 20 Basement The Town Hall, Wellington Street, London SE18 6PW
www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk

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