FOI ref: FOI/2022/4509
You asked
The following information was shared on Twitter recently: "ONS recently refused a freedom of information request asking how many had been given social housing over the UK citizens, they refused to answer claiming it wasn't in the public interest to release that information"
Can you confirm whether you did indeed refuse such a request?
Please take this as a FOI request from me for the information.
We said
Thank you for your enquiry.
We have fully investigated the quote that you included in your FOI request. We are unable to ascertain any record to which such a quote would apply. We have searched our FOI records and wider business records and can confirm that we do not hold a record of an FOI response in which we refused to disclose information about social housing allocation and migration on public interest grounds. Any such request would have received an information not held reply because this is information that we do not hold here at the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
With regards to your current FOI request FOI/2022/4509 about social housing allocations and non-UK citizens, this is information that is not held by ONS.
We have found some guidance about the legal framework for social housing allocation in the following documents, which may be helpful to you:
- GOV.UK guidance on social housing allocations https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/social-housing-allocations-guidance
- Allocation of Accommodation Guidance https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60df2d0de90e0771784b991f/Current_allocation_of_accommodation_guidance.pdf