Freedom of Information Request
Case reference FOI2025/00650
Received 15 August 2025
Published 27 August 2025
Request
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding homelessness among refugees in your local authority area. Specifically, I would like to receive the following information: Annual data, for the past six financial years, 2019 to 2025 (to date) on the number of individuals recognised as refugees who have been assessed or recorded by your authority as homeless. If it would exceed the section 12 limit to provide six years of data, please explain why that is and instead provide data for the time period that you are able to provide within the limit.
For the relevant period, please provide the following information, broken down by financial year (or calendar year, if more appropriate):
1. The total number of individuals who have approached your authority seeking assistance as homeless.
2. Of those who approached your authority as homeless, how many were recognised as refugees - i.e., individuals granted refugee status or humanitarian protection with leave to remain.
3. Of the homeless individuals recognised as refugees, how many were granted their refugee status and leave to remain by a different local authority.
4. Total annual spending on homelessness for each of the past six financial years (or as many as you are able to provide within the s.12 limit). This should cover:
a. Support provided under statutory homelessness duties;
b. Support for individuals presenting informally or via referral who do not qualify for statutory assistance.
5. Of the total homelessness spend, how much was spent on homeless individuals with refugee status.
Response
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The total number of individuals who have approached your authority seeking assistance as homeless. Local authorities have to provide quarterly returns to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, all information can be found via the following link for former years: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness
The recent quarter is yet to be updated on the above website, but the latest figures we can provide is for the last quarter, April – June 25: 61
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Of those who approached your authority as homeless, how many were recognised as refugees — i.e., individuals granted refugee status or humanitarian protection with leave to remain.
2023 – 13
2024 – 1
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Of the homeless individuals recognised as refugees, how many were granted their refugee status and leave to remain by a different local authority. Unfortunately, this information is not recorded/held by us.
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Total annual spending on homelessness for each of the past six financial years (or as many as you are able to provide within the s.12 limit). This should cover:
a. Support provided under statutory homelessness duties;
b. Support for individuals presenting informally or via referral who do not qualify for statutory assistance.
|
|
|
2019/20 |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
Total |
|
|
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Temporary Accommodation Spend: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accommodation Charges |
|
84,849 |
69,360 |
40,663 |
93,211 |
106,943 |
86,782 |
481,807 |
|
Recharge for HRA accommodation |
|
50,408 |
49,240 |
52,680 |
61,355 |
51,753 |
51,251 |
316,687 |
|
Total Temp Accommodation Spend |
|
135,257 |
118,600 |
93,343 |
154,566 |
158,696 |
138,033 |
798,495 |
Prevention/Relief duties from funding we have been awarded for white goods, furniture, paying for rent in advance/clearing rent arrears etc.
2021/2022 - £55,000
2022/2023 - £75,000
2023/2024 - £60,000
2024/2025 - £55,000
Prior years requested we had been allocated £20,000 each year.
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Of the total homelessness spend, how much was spent on homeless individuals with refugee status.
Only 1 applicant was placed in b&b at a cost to the Authority of £180 in 2023. The other applicants who approached as homeless in this cohort was just provided with advice.
Documents
This is South Derbyshire District Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.