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Video: Help for Salford eviction victims
by Tom Rodgers
Video by Callum Doolan Salford Citizens Advice Bureaux is highlighting the terrible case of in home repossessions in the city. Tom Togher is Chief Executive of the advice charity, based on Church Street in Eccles. He says there's a homelessness 'crisis' on the way, but that there's always help available. In the past year there's been an 8% increase in the number of people taken to court to be evicted from their home. Salford had 1405 mortgage and rent arrears repossessions in the year up to September 2011. compared to 1310 last year. Says Tom: "Last year we defended over 400 of these cases in court, and saved nearly all of them from being evicted." If you're having difficulty with mortgage or rent arrears, there's always help on tap through Salford CAB. They have the contract for legal aid for housing in Salford, so you may be able to get free legal representation in court. The CAB is also concerned that government benefit changes about to come into force will further reduce the help that is available to people who face difficulties paying their housing costs. “This is a housing crisis ticking time bomb. We are concerned that these benefit reductions will make an already bad situation even worse," says Tom. Landlords and banks are apparently unwilling to admit the scale of the problem because they don't want to let it be known that they have bad or 'toxic' unpayable debt on their books. The situation is so bad for some tenants that the first thing they hear about eviction is that their landlord hasn't paid the mortgage, and so they are being evicted, he adds. Each repossession costs landlords between six and nine thousand pounds, say the CAB. If you're in trouble with housing costs, in the first instance you should call the Salford CAB on 793 7839 to speak to a debt adviser. Callum Doolan is a Manchester College student on work placement at SalfordOnline.com. If you'd like work experience in filming/editing/writing please contact editor@salfordonline.com
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