See answers to previous information requests

1. How much did your council spend on total housing expenditure in this period? It is intended to cover council payments on rents, social housing, temporary accommodation payments. The question is not intended to cover housebuilding, contractor payments, etc.
23/24: Total Housing Benefit expenditure £15,399,120
23/24: Housing Needs and Options Service £874,499 on emergency and temporary accommodation and £301, 241.99 on rent in advance and rent deposit payments to prevent and relieve homelessness and £26, 951 to prevent households from becoming homeless. Total £1,202,691.00
24/25: Total Housing Benefit expenditure £15,367,194
24/25: Housing Needs and Options Service £494, 958 on emergency and temporary accommodation and £506,107.81 on rent in advance and rent deposit payments to prevent and relieve homelessness and £27, 252 to prevent households from becoming homeless. Total £1,028,317.81

2. How much of this total (in Question 1) was spent on private related housing? (Including temporary accommodation) This includes hostels, hotels, housing benefit payments to private landlords, any private related housing
23/24: Total Housing Benefit expenditure £10,768,141
23/24: Housing Needs and Options Service £301, 241.99 rent in advance and rent deposit payments to prevent and relieve homelessness
24/25: Total Housing Benefit expenditure £10,748,727
24/25 Housing Needs and Options Service £506, 107. 81rent in advance and rent deposit payments to prevent and relieve homelessness
The Housing Needs and Options Service do not use private rented sector properties as temporary accommodation; we use nightly let accommodation for emergency accommodation for emergency accommodation, and we have our own temporary accommodation; we have a private sector lease for 24 units of temporary accommodation but this is let on license and not on ASTs so is not recorded a private sector housing; the costs of this are included in the emergency and temporary accommodation spend.

3. How much did your council spend on temporary accommodation each year? This is all licence agreement based housing covered by the council, it includes hostels, hotels, and housing benefits covering those in temporary accommodation supported by the local authority
23/24: £498,000 Housing Benefit
23/24: Housing Needs and Options Service £874, 499 on emergency and temporary accommodation
24/25: £544,869 Housing Benefit
24/25: Housing Needs and Options Service £494, 958 on emergency and temporary accommodation

4. How much did central government provide your council for all housing related expenditure? This is meant to include all rents and costs associated with housing people, including social housing, private rents covered by the local authority, and costs housing in temporary accommodation.
23/24: Total subsidy claimed for Housing Benefit £15,278,244
23/24: Housing Needs and Options Service £478, 687 Homelessness Prevention Grant and £291, 264 Homelessness Prevention grant top up
24/54: Total subsidy claimed for Housing Benefit £15,040,366
24/25: Housing Needs and Options Service £485, 155 Homelessness Prevention Grant and £279, 959 Homelessness Prevention grant top up
25/26: Housing Needs and Options Service £1,129154.44 Homelessness Prevention Grant

5. Do local authorities have the resources to adequately tackle housing issues in their areas? This is not technically FOIA and therefore is a voluntary question

6. Other than grant funding, what can be done to support local authorities address housing issues, both with regards to access and condition? This is not technically FOIA and therefore is a voluntary question

7. What changes would the council recommend to the private market to make housing more accessible? This is not technically FOIA and therefore is a voluntary question