FOI Request - Housing Waiting Lists

Request 101003183761

1.  In your local authority how many people are currently waiting on social housing lists?

2.  On average how long are people in your local authority currently having to wait?

3.  What is the longest an individual or family has currently had to wait to be allocated a house in your local authority area?

4.  What has the average waiting time been for somebody on the social housing waiting list in your local authority area in each of the last five financial years, including 2022-23 so far?

Response 13-12-2022

1. As at 23 November 2022, there are 2735 people currently waiting on social housing lists. This applies to the main applicant only, not members of the household.

2. As at 23 November 2022, of those currently waiting, the average time is 2 years.

3. With the exception of homeless households who are normally re-housed in date order, we operate a needs-based allocations policy. The total number of points on the application determines the position on the housing list at any given time, and we do not award any points associated with length of time on the list. An applicant’s circumstances may worsen or improve during the life of their housing application and this means their total number of points may be reassessed and their position can change frequently. Our policy is available at www.moray.gov.uk/downloads/file125428.pdf

At 23 November 2022, the longest period of time a family has waited for social housing is 34 years; however, this application is at a non-offerable status, i.e. they are not actively seeking re-housing at this time.

4. This is only available for the new tenancies created during each financial year, because we are unable to provide information on our housing list retrospectively. As explained in Q3 this may not necessarily be an accurate reflection on how long someone waits for a home, because their application may have been at a non-offerable status.