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Homeless Applications & Interim Accommodation

Wesley Hall made this Freedom of Information request to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council as part of a batch sent to 382 authorities Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.

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Dear Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council,

Dear FOI Officer,

Re: Freedom of Information Request - Homeless Applications & Interim Accommodation

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the council’s expenditure on interim temporary accommodation and related costs, as well as the measures being taken to reduce such expenditures.

Please provide the following information:

1. Homeless Applications and Interim Accommodation:

- Over the past twelve months, how many people have made a homeless application to the Council?
- Over the past twelve months, how many people have been provided with interim accommodation pursuant to Section 188(1) of the Housing Act 1996?
- Over the past twelve months, how many people have been provided with interim accommodation pursuant to Section 189(b) of the Housing Act 1996?
- Over the past twelve months, what was the total cost of providing interim accommodation?
a) What proportion of this cost was paid to Travelodge and/or any of its parent companies/subsidiaries?
b) What was the total amount paid to Travelodge and/or its related entities over the past twelve months?

2. Temporary Accommodation Expenditure and Associated Costs:

- What has been the total expenditure on interim temporary accommodation (e.g., Travelodge, B&Bs) for homeless individuals over the past three financial years?
- Please provide a breakdown of these costs by location, including the number of placements made outside the borough.
- What has been the total expenditure on affiliated costs such as storage, taxis, and other related services for individuals placed in temporary accommodation outside the borough over the past three financial years?
- Please provide details of these costs by category (e.g., storage, transportation, etc.) and location.

3. Protection of Personal Property for Homeless Applicants:

- Over the past twelve months, how many homeless applicants have had their personal property protected by the local authority?
- What is the average length of time that a homeless applicant’s personal property is stored by the local authority?
- What is the average cost of storing a homeless applicant’s personal property while they are in interim accommodation?
- Under what circumstances does the local authority protect the personal property of homeless applicants?
- As part of the homeless application process, does the local authority expressly ask the homeless applicant whether they need their personal property protected?
- If not, please state the reasons why this question is not asked.
- Please provide copies of the local authority’s policies regarding homeless applications.
- Please provide a copy of the local authority’s policy regarding the protection of the personal property of homeless applicants.
- Please disclose a copy of the council's homeless procedures manual or policy document followed by housing solutions officers at its homeless service centres/homeless persons offices.
- Over the past three years, how many complaints have been made by homeless applicants regarding the council’s failure to protect their personal property?

4. Proactive Measures to Reduce Temporary Accommodation Costs:

- What specific measures has the council taken to reduce the reliance on temporary accommodation outside the borough, such as Travelodge and B&Bs?
- Has the council developed or initiated any programs to increase the availability of local temporary accommodation, particularly through the use of empty properties or land within the borough? If so, please provide details.

5. Utilisation of Empty Properties and Land:

- How many empty properties and parcels of land are currently owned by the council that could potentially be used for temporary accommodation?
- Has the council considered or initiated any compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) to acquire vacant properties for conversion into temporary accommodation? If so, please provide details, including the number of properties targeted, the outcome, and associated costs.
- What steps has the council taken to encourage community/ non-profit groups or social enterprises to make use of disused land or buildings via adverse possession for temporary accommodation or support services? Please provide examples, if any.

6. Comparative Models and Best Practices:

- Is the council aware of successful models such as Calderwood House in Cumbria, where an empty property (a former police station) was transformed into temporary accommodation and support services? If so, has the council explored similar initiatives within the borough? Please provide details of any discussions, plans, or actions taken.
- Has the council considered offering similar arrangements, such as a peppercorn rent, to community groups or social enterprises willing to repurpose empty properties for temporary accommodation or support services? If not, what are the reasons for not pursuing this option?

7. Support Services for Individuals in Temporary Accommodation:

What support services does the council currently provide for individuals placed in temporary accommodation outside the borough, particularly in terms of maintaining their connection to local support networks, healthcare providers, and other essential services?
Are there any programs in place to assist individuals in transitioning from temporary accommodation outside the borough to permanent housing within the borough? If so, please provide details on the nature of the support provided, outcomes, and costs.

8. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Complaints:

How does the council monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of its temporary accommodation placements, particularly those made outside the borough? Please provide any available data on the impact of these placements on residents, including any assessments of detriment or distress caused.
Has the council conducted any cost-benefit analysis comparing the current expenditure on temporary accommodation outside the borough with potential savings from investing in local solutions (e.g., repurposing empty properties)? If so, please provide the findings.
I would appreciate it if the information could be provided in electronic format, and I look forward to your response within the statutory 20 working days.

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Wes Hall

Aileen Devlin, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

1 Attachment

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

REQUEST FOR ACCESS TO INFORMATION
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

With reference to your request for information held by Causeway Coast and
Glens Borough Council under the above legislation.

Response:

The Council has undertaken a search of its records and failed to locate
any relevant records to your request based on the information you have
provided. Accordingly Council can confirm that it does not hold the
information to which you seek access.

Under Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act which places a duty on
public authorities “to provide advice and assistance” we would advise you
that this is because local authorities in Northern Ireland do not have
legislative responsibility for this area of responsibility. I would
suggest you try the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for further
assistance. They can be contacted at:

Northern Ireland Housing Executive

The Records Officer, 5th Floor

The Housing Centre

2 Adelaide Street

Belfast BT2 8PB

 

For further guidance on the [1]role of local authorities within Northern
Ireland and other statutory partners please refer to Northern Ireland’s
one stop government portal: [2]NIDirect.

If you have any queries in relation to your request for access to
information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Individuals are free to use any information supplied, where the Council is
the copyright owner of the information, for their own use, including for
non-commercial research purposes. The information may also be used for the
purposes of news reporting. However, any other type of re-use, such as:
copying, publishing, distributing and transmitting the Information;
adapting the Information; exploiting the Information commercially for
example, by combining it with other Information, or by including it in
your own commercial product or application, will be subject to the
copyright and re-use conditions under the Open Government Licence.

If you are dissatisfied with how the Council handled your request for
information, you have the right to request that the Council formally
review this decision. If you wish to do so, please write within 40 working
days to the:

Chief Executive
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Cloonavin
66 Portstewart Road
Coleraine, BT52 1EY.

Should you remain dissatisfied following the Council’s internal review,
you can seek an independent review from the Information Commission. A
request for an independent review should be made in writing to:
Information Commissioner at ICO, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF. The Commissioner has indicated that a review will not
be undertaken unless the Council has first had an opportunity to
reconsider its decision.

Please be advised that under the Freedom of Information Act, replies
including the request may be released into the public domain via our
website [3]www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk. Personal details in respect
of your request will, where applicable, be removed to protect
confidentiality.

Council will process your personal data, provided as part of this request
i.e. name and contact details as part of its legal obligation. For further
information regarding your privacy rights or for how long we hold your
data, please refer to the privacy section of the website:
[4]www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk/footer-information/privacy-statement.

Yours faithfully,

Aileen Devlin

Business Support Assistant

Policy and Community Planning

[5][email address]

 

[6]Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

 

[7]www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

 

 

 

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