COUNCIL NEWS
New Bedford Court Desk to provide help for homeowners facing threat of eviction
8th May 2008Public Relations
Bedford Borough Council is the first of 39 Councils to set up a court desk in a bid to prevent homelessness.
The Court Desk has been set up in partnership with national homelessness charity Shelter. The initiative began yesterday and will be open initially for 10 months. The desk is based in Bedford County Court and was made possible with £10,000 grant funding from the government.
Dawn Parker, Housing Needs Manager at Bedford BC said:
"The opening of a court desk is very timely in view of the recent upward trend in mortgage repossessions due to such factors as the credit crunch and rising mortgage interest rates. More and more households are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up their mortgage repayments. The court desk will provide invaluable support to homeowners who are faced with the threat of eviction due to mortgage arrears. The service of a housing specialist will be available in the Court on the day of repossession hearings, free of charge, and could make the difference to a family keeping their home or losing the roof over their head’’.
The advice from Bedford Borough Council Housing Team is act quickly.
Keeping up with your mortgage payments should be your top financial priority.
Your home could be repossessed if payment problems continue. This doesn't happen automatically, but the longer you delay, the more difficult it will become to control your arrears and avoid long-term debts.
Don't wait until the debt becomes unmanageable. Many lenders charge penalty fees if you miss payments.
The sooner you deal with the situation the more options you have, and the less chance that you will lose your home.
If you have already been threatened with eviction action you should contact Bedford BC’s Housing Advice team without delay. Tel: 01234 221785 or 221786 or email: HousingAdvice@bedford.gov.uk or visit www.bedford.gov.uk click on housing/housing advice