A new report from housing charity Shelter shows that Salford is the eviction and repossession risk capital of the north, with a one in sixty chance of households being threatened with losing their home.
The report compiled Salford's 1,717 possession claims issued in county courts between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2014 and compared them with the number of households in the area. Salford came out worst in the north, and the third worst in England, outside London, at 20th place in the eviction hotspot rankings.
The possession claims - the first stage in a process which can end with the loss of a home – were for both social rented and private sector housing, and give lie to media and politicians' claims of an `economic recovery'…
"These staggering figures show just how many families go through the trauma of learning that their home is at risk, every single week" says Shelter's Chief Exec Rob Campbell "People are hearing that the economy is recovering, but we're seeing the reality that many families across the country are still battling to keep their heads above water and keep their homes."
Indeed, the one in sixty figures from Salford gave actually got worse since a similar report was produced six months ago, when there was a one in 61 risk of people in the city facing the threat of losing their home (see previous Salford Star article – click here).
"Just one thing such as a job loss or serious illness can tip any of us in to a downward spiral that puts our home at risk" adds Rob "Our message is that no one should battle alone. Shelter can help."
Shelter's free advice helpline is currently taking more than 480 calls each day, and the charity is stressing that people must get advice as soon as possible to prevent arrears from spiralling out of control, and start preparing for future mortgage or rent rises.
Meanwhile, in Salford the problem can only get worse as the Council is tearing up demands for developers to build affordable housing while poverty and social problems increase (see previous Salford Star article – click here).
To contact Shelter and read the full Shelter report – click here…
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