More than 215,000 households face eviction

 

Simon Read
Friday 23 May 2014 18:47 EDT
Comments
Towered over by the Westfield Stratford shopping mall, Newham is a repossession danger zone
Towered over by the Westfield Stratford shopping mall, Newham is a repossession danger zone (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

More than 215,000 homes in England are at risk of eviction or repossession, reckons Shelter.

That’s the equivalent of 4,140 households being threatened every week. And the homeless charity’s research reveals that Newham in east London as the area where people are most likely to lose their home, while Salford is the eviction and repossession-risk capital of the north.

Shelter says that despite the Government’s boasts about the beginnings of economic recovery, a growing number of families will still struggle financially in the future.

It warns that with most families already struggling month to month with their housing costs, and interest rates set to rise, many could soon be in danger.

Shelter’s free advice helpline is currently taking over 480 calls each day, and the charity advises hard-up people to get help as soon as possible to prevent arrears from spiralling out of control.

It also stresses the importance of preparing for future mortgage or rent rises after the Resolution Foundation warned this week that over 2.3 million householders could become “mortgage prisoners” when interest rates go up.

Liz Clare, helpline adviser for Shelter, said: “We’re hearing from more people who’ve reached crisis point and oftenalready have court papers.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in