How many homeless applicants at risk of homelessness have been advised to remain in the property until eviction by enforcement officers?

Waiting for an internal review by Leicester City Council of their handling of this request.

Dear Leicester City Council,
We've noticed an alarming increase in unlawful advice being provided to tenants contrary to the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 where tenants are advised by Leicester City Council to remain in possession of the property after end of the notice period forcing the landlord to cover the cost of eviction and enforcement proceedings.

The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and the guidance is clear that councils have 56 days to find alternate accommodation or otherwise have taken relevant action as per their duty of care to the homelessness applicant and this 56 days coincides with the shortest notice period of 8 weeks afforded by a section 21 notice.

I'd like to request thorough answers to the following questions so as to get an understanding of how expansive the failures of Leicester City Council have been with regards to protecting vulnerable people at risk of homelessness and to understand how many people have been made to sleep rough as a result of unlawful advice provided by Leicester City Council:

1) How many tenants have been advised to remain in the property beyond the 56 day timescale afforded by the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017?

2) How many tenants have been specifically advised to only make an application of homelessness once they've been evicted, rather than the point they become at risk of homelessness, contrary to the act?

3) How many landlords have been compensated or reimbursed the legal fees of enforcing a possession order after Leicester City Council advised them to remain in the property beyond the deadline in the possession order?

4) How many tenants have become rough sleepers as a result of Leicester City Council not being able to assist tenants when they've approached Leicester city council on the day they were removed by bailiffs/enforcement officers?

5) How many complaints has Leicester city council received regarding advising tenants to remain in the property until enforcement of a lawful possession order at the expense of the landlord?

Yours faithfully,
Andrew
Harry Albert Lettings & Estates

info-requests, Leicester City Council

Website:                        [1]www.leicester.gov.uk

E-mail:                            [2][Leicester City Council request email]   

Our Ref:                          FOI 18336

Date:                               7^th May 2019

 

Mr Andrew Hill

[3][email address]

 

Dear Mr Hill,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

 

Thank you for your 3 emails of 6^th May 2019 requesting information about
homelessness.

 

Your requests are being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and will be answered within twenty working days. 

 

If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact me.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Baljeet Kaur

Information Governance Apprentice

Information Governance and Risk

Legal Services

4^th Floor, Rutland Wing

City Hall

115 Charles Street

LE1 1FZ

References

Visible links
1. http://www.leicester.gov.uk/
2. mailto:[Leicester City Council request email]
3. mailto:[email address]

info-requests, Leicester City Council

Website:                        [1]www.leicester.gov.uk

E-mail:                            [2][Leicester City Council request email]   

Our Ref:                          FOI 18336

Date:                               7^th May 2019

 

Mr Andrew Hill

[3][email address]

 

Dear Mr Hill,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

 

Thank you for your 3 emails of 6^th May 2019 requesting information about
homelessness.

 

Your requests are being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and will be answered within twenty working days. 

 

If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact me.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Baljeet Kaur

Information Governance Apprentice

Information Governance and Risk

Legal Services

4^th Floor, Rutland Wing

City Hall

115 Charles Street

LE1 1FZ

References

Visible links
1. http://www.leicester.gov.uk/
2. mailto:[Leicester City Council request email]
3. mailto:[email address]

info-requests, Leicester City Council

Website:                        [1]www.leicester.gov.uk

E-mail:                            [2][Leicester City Council request email]   

Our Ref:                          FOI 18336

Date:                               7^th May 2019

 

Mr Andrew Hill

[3][email address]

 

Dear Mr Hill,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

 

Thank you for your 3 emails of 6^th May 2019 requesting information about
homelessness.

 

Your requests are being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and will be answered within twenty working days. 

 

If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact me.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Baljeet Kaur

Information Governance Apprentice

Information Governance and Risk

Legal Services

4^th Floor, Rutland Wing

City Hall

115 Charles Street

LE1 1FZ

References

Visible links
1. http://www.leicester.gov.uk/
2. mailto:[Leicester City Council request email]
3. mailto:[email address]

info-requests, Leicester City Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Hill,

 

Please find attached Leicester City Council’s response to your recent
Freedom of Information request.

 

Regards

 

Pravina Chandarana

Information Governance Officer

Email: [1][Leicester City Council request email]

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Leicester City Council request email]

info-requests, Leicester City Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Hill,

 

Please find attached Leicester City Council’s response to your recent
Freedom of Information request.

 

Regards

 

Pravina Chandarana

Information Governance Officer

Email: [1][Leicester City Council request email]

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Leicester City Council request email]

info-requests, Leicester City Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Hill,

 

Please find attached Leicester City Council’s response to your recent
Freedom of Information request.

 

Regards

 

Pravina Chandarana

Information Governance Officer

Email: [1][Leicester City Council request email]

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Leicester City Council request email]

Dear info-requests,
I feel your response is inadequate. As a city council, you'll have a legal obligation to be able to report homelessness figures to the relevant bodies in government, part of this will include a cost-analysis of the provision of homeless services in Leicester to establish how much it costs to deal with the situation.

I believe the information is available in a reportable format because you will naturally have accounts with private temporary accommodation providers, such as Leicester City Hotel on London Road and Westcotes Lodge on Westcotes Street, or Sky Plaza Hotel in the city centre prior to its closure some years ago.

These providers can also give a good idea as to how often you use their services and are just a phone call away.

I feel it is deeply concerning if Leicester City Council genuinely do not have a hold on the number or costs of temporary accommodation being used in the city, especially when, as a Leicester taxpayer, we are asking you to be accountable and allow us to scrutinise the costs of homelessness in the city.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Hill

info-requests, Leicester City Council

E-mail:                                  [1][Leicester City Council request email]

Website:                              [2]www.leicester.gov.uk  

Our Ref:                               Appeal FOI: 18495

Date:                                    30^th May 2019

 

Mr Andrew Hill

[3][email address]

 

Dear Mr Hill,

 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 - APPEAL REQUEST

 

Thank you for both your emails of 30^th May 2019 requesting an appeal with
regard to your Freedom of Information request 18336.

 

Please accept this letter as confirmation that I have received your
appeal.  An independent Manager will investigate the matter you have
raised and we shall aim to have a response to you by the 27^th June 2019.

 

Should for any reason my investigation take longer than this I will write
to you explaining the reasons for the delay and let you know when you will
receive a response.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Lynn Wyeth

Head of Information Governance & Risk

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Leicester City Council request email]
2. http://www.leicester.gov.uk/
3. mailto:[email address]

info-requests, Leicester City Council

E-mail:                                  [1][Leicester City Council request email]

Website:                              [2]www.leicester.gov.uk  

Our Ref:                               Appeal FOI: 18495

Date:                                    30^th May 2019

 

Mr Andrew Hill

[3][email address]

 

Dear Mr Hill,

 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 - APPEAL REQUEST

 

Thank you for both your emails of 30^th May 2019 requesting an appeal with
regard to your Freedom of Information request 18336.

 

Please accept this letter as confirmation that I have received your
appeal.  An independent Manager will investigate the matter you have
raised and we shall aim to have a response to you by the 27^th June 2019.

 

Should for any reason my investigation take longer than this I will write
to you explaining the reasons for the delay and let you know when you will
receive a response.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Lynn Wyeth

Head of Information Governance & Risk

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Leicester City Council request email]
2. http://www.leicester.gov.uk/
3. mailto:[email address]

Dear info-requests,
Please don't forget about my request.

I am still waiting for a response.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Hill