1. Demand and Usage
  1. The number of homeless applications in the past 12 months where interim accommodation was provided under section 188 of the Housing Act 1996. 1063
  2. The number of households currently accommodated under:
    • Section 188 (interim duty) 713
    • Section 193 (main housing duty) 2074
  3. Average duration (in days) of stay in:
    • Section 188 interim accommodation 227
    • Temporary accommodation before permanent housing 1024
  4. Number of applicants currently on the housing waiting list, by:
    • Single adult 1204
    • Couple 634
    • Family of 3, 4, and 5+ 1647
  1. Supply and Providers
  1. Number and type of providers currently contracted for:

Currently we have contracted 77 TA Suppliers . Some Suppliers provide accommodation for use under section 188 and section 193.

  • Interim accommodation under section 188 – 72 Suppliers  (mainly provide accommodation for sec 188)
  • Temporary accommodation under section 193 or other housing duties– 5 Suppliers (mainly provide accommodation for sec 193)
  1. Types of properties used (e.g. HMO, hotel, B&B, self-contained units).
  • Hotel rooms for emergency bookings only (mainly out of hours)
  • HMO (procured previously)
  • Self – Contained studios, 1 bed, 2 bed, 3 bed, 4 bed and 5 bed units
  1. Current available units broken down by:

The number of properties made available to Barnet each day varies. Today at the time of responding to this FOI we note these availabilities

    • Studio 176
    • 1-bed – 31
    • 2-bed – 39
    • 3-bed– 19
    • 4+ beds 9

In addition, today we have block booked properties available for use under section 188 or section 193

Studio – 10

1 bed- 1

2 bed- 3

3 bed- 2

  1. Financial Data
  1. Average nightly rate paid by the council to accommodate:

The nightly rate depends on the BRMA (Broad Rent Market Area), size of the unit, and specific features  (e.g. wheelchair adapted). Unfortunately, we are unable to separate the rate for Interim and TA . Also, cannot provide data as per your breakdown because a family of 4 may be placed in a 2 – bed or a 3-bed depending on the age of the children , sex and on the supply that we have on the day of placement. Also, the rate for a single studio normally is the same as the rate of a double studio .

Instead see below the average of nightly rate by accommodation size.

Unit Size Average of Nightly Rate
Studio 47
1 bed 53
2 bed 66
3 bed 76
4 bed 89

 A single adult

    • A couple –
    • A family of 4
    • A family of 5
    • (Please specify separately for interim and temporary accommodation if possible)
  2. Annual spend on:

We cannot provide a breakdown on spend because some Suppliers provide accommodation for both duties and all properties are included in the same invoice.

    • Interim accommodation (section 188)
    • Temporary accommodation
      For:
    • 2022–23 – £19,447,868
    • 2023–24– – £26,356,283
    • 2024–25 – £41,083,715

 

  1. Additional payments to providers (e.g. utilities, food, management/support fees) and what these typically include.

No additional payments are made to TA Suppliers.

  1. Provider Duties and Compliance
  1. What duties and responsibilities are shared between the council and its housing providers in relation to:
  • Resident support and welfare
  • Safety and safeguarding
  • Reporting obligations
  • Compliance with housing standards

See attached the Management Guidelines for processes and responsibilities of TA Suppliers.

  1. What specific requirements must a housing provider meet in order to offer interim or temporary housing services, including:
  • Licensing (e.g. HMO licence)
  • Health and safety standards
  • Staff qualifications or DBS checks
  • Support service capabilities
  • Insurance cover (public liability, professional indemnity, etc.)
  • Experience or accreditation (e.g. landlord accreditation schemes)

All the above . See below the list of the essential documents required.

  • Insurance both Public Liability and Employer
  • ID for Director(s)
  • Letterhead for the Company
  • Accounts for the past year/Bank statements
  • Health and Safety policy statement
  • Welcome Pack for clients.
  • Gas / Electrical Certificates (on request)
  • Ownership records / right to use property for rental occupancy (on request)
  • 2x References
  • Fire Risk Assessment (for buildings)
  • DBS checks
  1. Procurement and Process
  1. The current procedure by which a private landlord or HMO owner may become an approved provider of interim or temporary accommodation.
  2. Whether the council uses:
  • Only works within it Jurisdiction
  • A procurement framework
  • A direct proposal process
  1. Contact details of the team, officer, or department responsible for provider onboarding and accommodation procurement.

You can contact (redacted for public publication). However, please note we do not have a current demand for HMOs Also note that currently we are not taking on new Temporary Accommodation suppliers.. In the past years we took on new suppliers to have a bigger pool of properties, however we note that working with too many providers can be unmanageable, so we are not looking to extend the pool at this time. 

  1. Outcomes and Performance
  1. The average time between section 188 placement and the conclusion of the homelessness assessment. 121 days
  2. Outcomes following section 188 accommodation in the past 12 months:
  • Number of cases where no duty was owed 23
  • Relief duty granted under section 189B 1013
  • Main duty accepted under section 193 365
  1. Number or percentage of households moved from interim or temporary accommodation into permanent social housing during the past year. 222

Management Guidlelines Nightly Accommodation