Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority rather than constituency level. The constituency of Romford falls entirely within the London borough of Havering.
Information reported each quarter by local housing authorities about their activities under homelessness legislation includes the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter, and the types of temporary accommodation. The figures include both those households who have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty, and those for which enquiries are pending.
This data is published in our quarterly statistical release on statutory homelessness, which includes a supplementary table showing the breakdown of key data, including temporary accommodation and type, by each local authority. These are published on our website each quarter, and data for each quarter from 2000-01 to 2005-06 can be accessed from the following address:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=l156302
These tables have also been placed in the Library for each quarter since 2000.
Data provided includes the total number in temporary accommodation for each year, broken down between bed and breakfast, hostel, local authority/registered social landlord stock, private-sector leased and other types of housing.
A summary table showing the total number of households in temporary accommodation, from 1997-98 to 2005-06, for each local authority (including Havering) was placed in the Library on 23 October 2006, Official Report, columns 1663-64W, in response to PQ 93795, Chris Ruane—Table B. Note that this summary table also includes any revisions made by local authorities since the supplementary tables were published.
Local authorities receive revenue support grant towards statutory functions, including homelessness. In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions provides subsidy up to a set cap for all housing benefit claims paid for households placed in temporary accommodation under the homelessness legislation.
In January 2005, the Government set a target of halving the number of households in all forms of temporary accommodation used by local authorities to discharge their main duty under the homelessness legislation by 2010.