Accessible Housing - Freedom of information requests
Title or Description
Accessible Housing
FOI Number
15352
Date Received
18/06/2021
Type of Request
FOI
Request or Question
FOI Request -ACCESSIBLE HOUSING:?1. What definition?of accessible housing do you use in your housing policies??HOUSING STOCK?AND HOUSE BUILDING?
In 2018, the Equality and Human Rights Commission reported a widespread shortage of wheelchair accessible housing. Recognising the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, we wanted to check whether the picture was still the same or whether it had changed.
2. What percentage of your Local Authority and/or social housing stock is (a.) accessible, (b.) wheelchair accessible?
??
3. Do you have an accessible or adaptable?house building?target?
a. If yes, do you have a set target? (for?instance,?since 2009,?Glasgow City Council?have?required?developments of 20 dwellings or more to provide 10% of housing to a wheelchair or readily adaptable standard).?
b. If there is a set target, as referred to in question (a), which tenure does this apply to?
4. Do you have any processes in place for making empty housing accessible??
a. Does this include social housing?
HOUSING ALLOCATIONS?
5. Do you have any processes in place for prioritising those with terminal and/or progressive conditions in allocating housing? (for example, a fast-tracking process for people with terminal illness)
- If yes, how are these applications fast-tracked? If you have a written procedure, please can you share it with us.
6. What is the average waiting time from a disabled person being assessed as needing an accessible home to being successfully matched with an accessible home?
7. Do you have any policy that removes people from the waiting list if they refuse a particular number of properties?
ADAPTATIONS??
8. Do you have any processes in place for prioritising those with terminal and/or progressive conditions for adaptations to housing? (for example, a fast-tracking process for people with terminal illness)
- If yes, how are these applications fast-tracked? If you have a written procedure, please can you share it with us.
9. How many applications did you receive for adaptations between:
* ?1st?April 2019 and 31st?March 2020???
* ?1st?April 2020 and 31st?March 2021??
10. How many of these applications were not awarded, and what were the reasons for this, between:
* 1st?April 2019 and 31st?March 2020???
* 1st?April 2020 and 31st?March 2021???
??
11. For the years 1st April 2019 and 31st March 2020; and separately, 1st April 2020 and 31st March 2020:
a. What proportion of people?are awarded?80% of their mandatory grant adaptation cost (out of all applicants)???
b. What proportion of people are awarded 100% of their adaptation cost (out of all applicants)?
?
12. What is the average waiting time from application for assessments for (i) a ramp to be completed and (ii) a wetroom to be completed, (iii) grab/hand rails to be completed?
Response
1. Housing for Varying Needs – in particular Wheelchair/Ambulant Disabled/Elderly Amenity.
2. Scottish Borders Council is a post stock transfer Council therefore:
a) no information is held for accessible housing so we give notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2002.
b) The current estimate of Registered Social Landlord owned housing estimates 166 units wheelchair housing, which equates to 1.4% of social rented stock.
3. The Council has an annual target of 20 wheelchair accessible units via new build. Of which target is 15 to be provided by Registered Social landlords, and balance by private sector providers.
4. No
5. Scottish Borders Council became a stock transfer authority in 2003 and therefore hold no housing stock, this information is not held we give notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2002.
Information relating to the housing providers in the Scottish Borders Area can be found at the link provided below.
6. As per Q5 above.
7. As per Q5 above.
8. As per Q5 above.
9. As per Q5 above.
10. As per Q5 above.
11. a) 41% 2019/20 and 51% 2020/21
B) 47% 2019/20 and 38% 2020/21
12. No figures are available for timescales for tasks requested for I , 2 and 3. Therefore we are applying s17 of FOI(S)A 2002 and declaring this information is not held.
