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Sunday 7 January 2018

Freedom of Information requests on housing >>> >>> >>> the waiting list for a council house in East Devon grows by almost 50 percent

There have been several Freedom of Information requests made of late to the District Council about housing issues:

Homeless approaches from 16-24 year olds

Date submitted: 5 January 2018

Summary of request

I would like to know information regarding homeless young people (16-24). I would like to know the number of young people who have:
A - approached the council for help with issues surrounding homelessness
B - been formally assessed for homelessness by the council
C - have been accepted as being officially homeless by the council.
I would like figures from the last five years please. 


Summary of response

In progress.


New standard methodology for calculating 'objectively assessed need'

Date submitted: 4 January 2018

Summary of request

1) What information, documentation or consultation, if any, your council has received on a "new standard methodology for calculating 'objectively assessed need'"; and
2) When your housing plan was last updated, including a copy of the housing plan in question; and
3) What information, documentation or consultation, if any, your council has received on a "new housing delivery test". 


Summary of response

1) What information, documentation or consultation, if any, your council has received on a "new standard methodology for calculating 'objectively assessed need'"

The Government consultation document was received by the Council – it can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652888/Planning_for_Homes_Consultation_Document.pdf
and also see: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-right-homes-in-the-right-places-consultation-proposals

2) When your housing plan was last updated, including a copy of the housing plan in question

It is not clear what is meant by the term “housing plan”. In so far as planning policy matters are concerned, our local plan was developed over the second decade of this century and adopted in January 2016. It sets out details of assessment of housing needs and policies to address this need. It can be viewed at: http://eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/local-plan-2013-2031/

3) What information, documentation or consultation, if any, your council has received on a "new housing delivery test"

Same answer as question 1. 
Date responded: 5 January 2018


Refused council nomination for accommodation due to affordability

Date submitted: 3 January 2018

Summary of request

Please can you tell me on how many occasions over the past five years housing associations have turned down a council nomination for a person to be given accommodation because of affordability concerns. Please provide the number of individuals turned down in each year.
If the housing association has stated the affordability concerns stem from the person being subject to the benefit cap or Universal Credit then please make this clear.
Please also list the name of the housing association that has turned down the nomination. 

Summary of response

We are not able to run a report that will determine the number of applications that have been turned down due to affordability. In order to retrieve this data we would need to manually search through an extensive amount of records looking for individual cases where this has been the case. We estimate that the retrieval and collation of this information would exceed reasonable time and cost limits as specified under s12 of the Freedom of Information Act.
Date responded: 4 January 2018


Freedom of Information published requests - East Devon

Meanwhile, the Herald has submitted an FOI request - and has received a reply:

More than 3,000 families on East Devon council housing list

PUBLISHED: 17:01 07 January 2018

More than 3,000 families are on the waiting list for a council house in East Devon.


The number of adults and children on the list in the top five towns, with the highest number of families waiting.
In the last three years, the list has grown by around 46 per cent, a Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted by the Herald has revealed.
Council bosses have said one of the reasons for the rise is that many applicants cannot afford to rent privately or purchase a home in the district, so turn to the authority and housing associations for assistance.
The statistics, released by East Devon District Council (EDDC), revealed there were more than 620 people on the waiting list in Sidmouth, including 171 children.
Compared to the rest of the district, Sidmouth had the third highest number of families on the list. This included around 41 single parents, 229 households of one or two people, 31 families of three, 32 families of four, 12 families of five, 11 families of six and one family of seven.
In Ottery St Mary, there are 375 people on this list and, of this, 251 are adults. This mean that 33 per cent of those waiting were children, leaving Ottery with the highest percentage of children waiting on the list compared with anywhere else in East Devon.
Overall there are 156 families waiting in Ottery – this includes 95 households with one or two people, 25 families of the three, 24 families of four, six families of five, four families of six and two families of seven.
Across East Devon, as of November 30, 2017, there were 3,143 families on the waiting list.
When looking at the numbers for the last three years, the statistics showed that the amount of people on the list had slowly been increasing.
In 2014/15, there were 2,297 households waiting and by March 2017 there were 3,361.
Although, as of November 30, the number of households on the waiting list had dropped by around 6.9 per cent.
An EDDC spokeswoman said the authority’s housing register was one of its barometers of housing need in the district.
She added: “We are constantly monitoring movements in the housing register 
and trying to secure new affordable housing where 
needs arise.”

More than 3,000 families on East Devon council housing waiting list | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald
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