FOI Request - Handling of Homelessness Applications

Request 101003740162

I request the following information regarding Moray Council’s handling of homelessness applications and the conduct of its representatives:

Delayed Action on My Homelessness Application

1.  What is the council’s standard policy on the timeframe for responding to a homelessness declaration?

2.  How many days elapsed, on average, between an individual declaring themselves homeless and an official physically meeting them to complete the necessary forms in the last five years?

3.  How many individuals in the past five years have waited longer than 70 days from the time they informed the council they were homeless to when an official engaged with them to complete the required paperwork?

4.  What are the council’s policies and procedures for ensuring that vulnerable homeless individuals are prioritised for urgent support?

Councillor’s Failure to Act

5.  What are the expectations for councillors when they claim to have contacted the council on behalf of a constituent experiencing homelessness?

6.  Are councillors required to provide any form of proof (e.g., emails, meeting notes, case updates) to verify that they have reached out to the council on behalf of a constituent?

7.  How many complaints have been made in the past five years regarding councillors making false claims about assisting constituents?

Attempt to Force Me into Unsuitable Accommodation

8.  What criteria does Moray Council use to determine whether accommodation is "suitable" for an individual, particularly those with disabilities and complex needs?

9.  What is the council’s policy regarding a constituent refusing unsuitable accommodation, and what are the consequences for doing so?

10.  Does Moray Council classify itself as "rural" in a way that exempts it from adhering to standard homelessness and housing laws? If so, under what legal framework does this classification apply?

11.  Have any complaints been made against council officers in the past five years for coercing individuals into accepting unsuitable accommodation?

Accountability & Oversight

12.  What disciplinary actions or oversight mechanisms are in place to hold council staff accountable if they are found to have deliberately misled, ignored, or delayed assistance for homeless individuals?

13.  How many complaints have been made in the past five years regarding council staff failing to provide assistance within a reasonable timeframe for homeless applicants?

14.  How many complaints have been made against Moray Council for failing to meet its legal obligations under housing and homelessness laws in the past five years, and what were the outcomes of these complaints?