Social Housing Provision & Occupancy Rates - Southern Areas

Summary

The requester sought detailed statistics on social housing provision, occupancy, and allocation points for southern Isle of Man areas from 2016 to 2021. The Department of Infrastructure responded that it does not hold data broken down by the specific areas requested, but provided figures by local authority operator and noted that sheltered housing data post-2019 is aggregated under the Southern Sheltered Housing Joint Board.

Key Facts

• The Department of Infrastructure does not break down social housing data by the specific areas listed in the request (Port Erin, Port St Mary, etc.).
• Data was instead provided by local authority operator, as most providers operate within specific areas.
• All sheltered housing in the south has been operated by the Southern Sheltered Housing Joint Board since 2019.
• The requester clarified they only needed general needs public sector housing data for allocation points (items 5 and 6).
• The Southern Region waiting list covers seven local authority areas including Arbory, Castletown, and Rushen.

Data Disclosed

• 2016 to 2021
• 2019
• 2018/19
• 16 August 2021
• 20 July 2021
• 1912569
• 5 pages
• 1 document

Original Request

I would like to request statistical data and other relevant information in relation to social housing in the south of the Island. This request does not require any personal information or any other information which should be considered sensitive. The request is being made to the DoI on the understanding that the department is responsible for overall housing policy and compliance. Specifically the information required is as follows: For each of Port Erin, Port St Mary, Rushen, Arbory and Castletown housing areas: 1. The total number of social housing properties (including sheltered housing) held each year from 2016 to 2021 in each area. 2. A breakdown showing the number of each property type, i.e, house, bungalow, flat (and other if applicable), the number of bedrooms within each property and whether the property is considered sheltered housing or not. 3. The breakdown should further include the average occupancy rates for each type of property for each of the past five years and for the current year to date, in each of the housing areas. 4. Where properties are unoccupied a reason for this should be provided. 5. The average number of points required to obtain a property in each housing area since the Public Sector Housing (General Needs) (Allocation) Policy was introduced in 2019. 6. The lowest number of points which has enabled an applicant to obtain a property in each of the housing areas since the latest Policy was introduced in 2019. Many thanks

Data Tables (5)

Full Response Text

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team/JH/PN Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: dpo-doi@gov.im

Our ref: 1912569 16 August 2021

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 20 July 2021 and which states:

"I would like to request statistical data and other relevant information in relation to social housing in the south of the Island. This request does not require any personal information or any other information which should be considered sensitive. The request is being made to the DoI on the understanding that the department is responsible for overall housing policy and compliance. Specifically the information required is as follows: For each of Port Erin, Port St Mary, Rushen, Arbory and Castletown housing areas: 1. The total number of social housing properties (including sheltered housing) held each year from 2016 to 2021 in each area. 2. A breakdown showing the number of each property type, i.e, house, bungalow, flat (and other if applicable), the number of bedrooms within each property and whether the property is considered sheltered housing or not. 3. The breakdown should further include the average occupancy rates for each type of property for each of the past five years and for the current year to date, in each of the housing areas. 4. Where properties are unoccupied a reason for this should be provided. 5. The average number of points required to obtain a property in each housing area since the Public Sector Housing (General Needs) (Allocation) Policy was introduced in 2019. 6. The lowest number of points which has enabled an applicant to obtain a property in each of the housing areas since the latest Policy was introduced in 2019. Many thanks"

You provided clarification that since you are interested in the application of the Public Sector Housing (General Needs) (Allocation) Policy you require information only about

general needs public sector housing in relation to points 5 to 6 and not about sheltered housing. You also clarified that in relation to points 5 to 6 you would be content to receive information about the Shared Waiting List for the Southern Region which covers all of the areas listed in the request rather than separate information for each area. The Southern Region covers the local authority areas of Arbory Commissioners, Castletown Commissioners, Malew Commissioners, Port Erin Commissioners, Port St Mary Commissioners, Rushen Commissioners and Santon Commissioners. The Department of Infrastructure is also involved with the Southern Region as it operates housing in several of these areas. It is also important to explain that the Department collects data about general needs public sector housing and sheltered housing from each of the Island’s social housing providers, but does not break down this information to provide totals for the specific areas listed in this request. However, in order to be as helpful as possible, the figures requested have been broken down by local authority operator since most housing providers do operate in specific areas (for example, Castletown Commissioners only operate social housing within Castletown). On the other hand, the Department of Infrastructure operates across the entire Island and some sheltered housing providers also operate across more than one local authority area. Furthermore, please note that all sheltered housing in the south of the Island has been operated by the Southern Sheltered Housing Joint Board since 2019 and as such, the Department is only able to provide a breakdown by individual housing providers for sheltered housing in the south of the Island up until 2018/19 inclusive. Figures provided for sheltered housing in the south of the Island after this date are shown as being operated by the Southern Sheltered Joint Housing Board (SSHJB). Response to your request
For points 1 and 2 of your request the information held by the Department has been compiled in the Appendix which is displayed with a separate table for each financial year. Since the Department of Infrastructure operates housing stock across the entire Island it has not always recorded data about its housing stock totals by regional areas and only began doing so for the financial year 2017/18. As such, the Department does not hold any information about the number of units in its own housing stock in the south of the Island in the financial year 2016/17 and this is reflected in the data provided in the Appendix. For point 3, the Department is unable to provide any information about occupancy rates for all of its own social housing stock or for any of the other housing providers as it does not hold this information. For point 4, the Department is able to advise in relation to its own social housing stock that where a property is unoccupied, it is either because work is being carried out to the property in readiness for it to be re-let or because the property is due to be demolished, often as part of a redevelopment project to build new units on the same site. For point 5, based on information held by the Department, the average number of points required to obtain a property in the Southern Region since the Public Sector Housing (General Needs) (Allocation) Policy was introduced in 2019 is 48.

For point 6, based on information held by the Department, the lowest number of points for any successful applicant who was allocated a property in the Southern Region since the Public Sector Housing (General Needs) (Allocation) Policy was introduced in 2019 is 30. Your right to request a review If you are unhappy with this response to your Freedom of Information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically to foi.doi@gov.im or by delivery/post to The FOI Co-ordinator, Department of Infrastructure, Sea Terminal Buildings, Douglas, IM1 2RF. An electronic version and paper version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at www.gov.im/foireview Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1 Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act; or 2 Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your rights to review is on the Information Commissioner’s website at: www.inforights.im/ Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact us. Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found at https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/ Yours sincerely FOI Response Team

Appendix Stock by type 2020-21 1bf 2bf 1b bung 2b bung 2b mais 2bh 3bh 4bh 7bh 2b cott Total Arbory 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Castletown 0 36 0 64 0 1 155 2 0 0 258 DOI South 20 93 19 92 0 61 311 20 0 17 633 Port Erin 16 36 0 12 0 50 98 2 0 0 214 Port St Mary 8 4 5 11 4 32 58 0 0 0 122 Rushen 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4

SSHJB 104 52 18 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 178 GENERAL 44 169 24 179 4 144 626 24 0 17 1231 SHELTERED 104 52 18 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 178 TOTAL 148 221 42 183 4 144 626 24 0 17 1409 Stock by type 2019-20 1bf 2bf 1b bung 2b bung 2b mais 2bh 3bh 4bh 7bh 2b cott Total Arbory 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Castletown 0 36 0 64 0 1 155 2 0 0 258 DOI South 20 93 19 92 0 61 311 20 0 17 633 Port Erin 16 36 0 12 0 50 98 2 0 0 214 Port St Mary 8 4 5 11 4 32 58 0 0 0 122 Rushen 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4

SSHJB 104 52 18 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 178 GENERAL 44 169 24 179 4 144 626 24 0 17 1231 SHELTERED 104 52 18 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 178 TOTAL 148 221 42 183 4 144 626 24 0 17 1409 Stock by type 2018-19 1bf 2bf 1b bung 2b bung 2b mais 2bh 3bh 4bh 7bh 2b cott Total Arbory 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Castletown 0 36 0 64 0 1 155 2 0 0 258 DOI South 10 86 19 90 0 39 304 17 0 17 582 Port Erin 16 36 0 12 0 50 98 2 0 0 214 Port St Mary 8 4 5 11 4 32 58 0 0 0 122 Rushen 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4

Castletown & Malew 23 5 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 42 Marashen Crescent 81 47 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 136 GENERAL 34 162 24 177 4 122 619 21 0 17 1180 SHELTERED 104 52 18 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 178 TOTAL 138 214 42 181 4 122 619 21 0 17 1358 Stock by type 2017-18 1bf 2bf 1b bung 2b bung 2b mais 2bh 3bh 4bh 7bh 2b cott Total Arbory 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Castletown 0 36 0 64 0 1 155 2 0 0 258 DOI South 10 86 19 90 0 39 304 17 0 17 582

Port Erin 16 36 0 12 0 47 101 2 1 0 215 Port St Mary 8 4 5 11 4 32 58 0 0 0 122 Rushen 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4

Castletown & Malew 23 5 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 42 Marashen Crescent 81 47 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 136 GENERAL 34 162 24 177 4 119 622 21 1 17 1181 SHELTERED 104 52 18 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 178 TOTAL 138 214 42 181 4 119 622 21 1 17 1359 Stock by type 2016-17 1bf 2bf 1b bung 2b bung 2b mais 2bh 3bh 4bh 7bh 2b cott Total Arbory 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Castletown 0 36 0 64 0 1 155 2 0 0 258 DOI South - - - - - - - - - - 0 Port Erin 16 36 0 12 0 47 101 2 1 0 215 Port St Mary 8 4 5 11 4 32 58 0 0 0 122 Rushen 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4

Castletown & Malew 23 5 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 42 Marashen Crescent 81 47 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 136 GENERAL 24 76 5 87 4 80 318 4 1 0 599 SHELTERED 104 52 18 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 178 TOTAL 128 128 23 91 4 80 318 4 1 0 777