Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request dated 30th July 2022

Based on the information you have provided, we have considered your request to be invalid because you have not provided us with enough of your real name in order to give us a reasonable indication of your identity.

In order for a Freedom of Information Act request to be considered, the request must be in writing, state the name of the applicant, give an address for correspondence and outline the information requested.

If you provide us with your full name, we will consider your request in accordance with the Act.

If you have any queries about this request, please contact us.

Regards,

The Freedom of Information Team
Information, Safety & Communities
Directorate of Communities, Environment & Central
Royal Borough of Greenwich

R 3rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, Wellington Street, London, SE18 6HQ
TTwww.royalgreenwich.gov.uk

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Dear Ms Sinclair

Freedom of Information request: FOI-67073

Thank you for confirming your name.

Your request will be answered by 31 August 2022.

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

Yours sincerely,

David White
Head of Information, Safety and Community Services
Directorate of Communities, Environment and Central
Royal Borough of Greenwich

 3rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18 6HQ
www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk

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Dear Ms Sinclair

Freedom of Information request:  FOI-67073

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request

Your request is currently being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom
of Information Act 2000 and will be progressed as soon as we have received
the clarification requested for Questions 6 & 7 below.

6. Are there any properties currently being decanted and if so how many
households are on the housing register because of this?

Could you confirm whether your definition of decanting includes anyone
moved due to remedial works (i.e. fire or flood damage)?

7. How many long-term empty homes/properties are there currently in the
borough? How many of these are 3 and 4 bedrooms including 2 & 3 bedroom
parlours.

Please specify your definition of long-term (i.e. longer than six months
etc).

Please quote the reference number in your reply.

If we have not received clarification within 2 months of this email, we
will close the request.

Yours sincerely,

The Freedom of Information Team

Information, Safety & Communities

Directorate of Communities, Environment & Central

Royal Borough of Greenwich

*   3^rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, Wellington Street, London, SE18 6HQ

8 [1]www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk

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Dear Ms Sinclair

Freedom of Information request: FOI-67073

Thank you for your clarification dated 05/08/2022.

Your request has been reopened and will now be answered by 05/09/2022.

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

Yours sincerely,

David White

Head of Information, Safety and Community Services

Directorate of Communities, Environment & Central

Royal Borough of Greenwich

*   3^rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18
6HQ

8[1]www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk

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Dear Ms Sinclair

Freedom of Information request:  FOI-67073 GM

Thank you for your request dated 05 August 2022

Our response is as follows:

1. How many households are currently on the housing register under band A
and what is the average waiting time? How many of these are due to
underoccupancy?

The number of households on the housing register under Band A = 185.
Unfortunately, we are unable to report on the average waiting time.

The number of under-occupying households in Band A = 108

2. Since 2019 how many households that are under occupying have
successfully moved through allocations?

This is based on offers with a confirmed status, where the tenancy start
date was greater than 1^st April 2019 and includes RBG & RSL lettings = 88
households

3. Currently how many RBG & RSL properties are under occupied?

Band A = 108

Band B1 = 107

Total number of households = 215

4. What plans have been put in place by the local authority to encouraged
those who are under occupying to downsize?

The Council operates an Under-Occupation Incentive Scheme where RBG
tenants who under occupy their property are given an incentive payment to
downsize. The incentive payment is £350 for each bedroom released plus
removal and disturbance costs. The payment is only made to RBG tenants who
downsize by two or more bedrooms or to those affected by the
under-occupancy cap who downsize by one bedroom. Households who downsize
via a mutual exchange will not be considered under the incentive scheme

5. Are there any agreements between RBG and RSL to ensure that housing
associations are also tackling the issue of under occupancy?

There are no agreements in existence between RBG and RSLs to ensure that
housing associations are tackling the issue of under occupancy? This would
be a matter for individual RSLs to consider. RBG do not hold this
information.

6. Are there any properties currently being decanted and if so how many
households are on the housing register because of this?

 This is based on CP list entries with a LIVE or SUSP status, with a
priority reason including Decants and Remedial Works = 50

7. How many long term empty homes/properties are there currently in the
borough? How many of these are 3 and 4 bedrooms including 2 & 3 bedroom
parlours?

NUMBER_OF_BEDROOMS PROP_COUNT
3 17
2P 2
3P 3
4 1

Total properties: 23

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 must 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 in writing, 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 [1][email address], or by post at Customer Contact,
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely,

David White

Head of Information, Safety and Community Services

Directorate of Communities, Environment and Central

Royal Borough of Greenwich

*   3^rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18
6HQ

8 [2]www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk

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From: foi <[Greenwich Borough Council request email]>
Sent: 08 August 2022 08:58
To: 'Jacqueline' <[FOI #883362 email]>
Cc: foi <[Greenwich Borough Council request email]>
Subject: RE: FOI-67073: Freedom of Information request - Housing empty
properties and waiting times

Dear Ms Sinclair

Freedom of Information request: FOI-67073

Thank you for your clarification dated 05/08/2022.

Your request has been reopened and will now be answered by 05/09/2022.

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

Yours sincerely,

David White

Head of Information, Safety and Community Services

Directorate of Communities, Environment & Central

Royal Borough of Greenwich

*   3^rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18
6HQ

8[3]www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk

ü Please consider the environment before printing this email

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