Financial and housing assistance from Keysteps

Churches in North Somerset set up an organization called Keysteps, which provides housing services. The main scheme is the rent deposit bond, and it helps a tenant come up with the funds to pay the deposit on a new flat or home. In addition to that service, KeySteps also helps people find affordable as well as safe accommodations to live in as well as provides financial help.

All of the housing schemes are for the private rental sector in the North Somerset area. In addition to offer bonds for paying the deposit as well as housing placement, the churches that are part of the organization provide ongoing support. This free advice is aimed at preventing future homelessness.

Financial help from Keysteps

Rent deposit bond schemes are used for this need. The assistance is a guarantee from the churches that are part of Keysteps; money is not given to the applicant. There are many criteria that need to be met in order to get a bond from the churches, and they are as follows.

• -The accommodations, whether a flat or home, needs to be in the private rental sector.
• -Tenants need to be able to pay future rent and utility costs on their own.
• -Ongoing advice needs to be agreed to, and the tenant needs to be able to live in the home in the future, attend budgeting, savings classes, agree to signposting service, and take other financial steps.
• -The landlord and tenant both need to use the Continuing Support from Keysteps.
• -Linkage to North Somerset welfare schemes, which provide food, white goods, and more.
• -Information on loans from the Somerset Savings and Loans Credit Union, and the funds can be used for helping with rent or other bills.

The financial assistance is for properties in the private rental sector. Keysteps focuses on them, and if the person is in poverty or needs other help then they should apply for government benefits. Many people who turn to Keysteps for help are outside of the schemes provided by the Somerset County local housing authority, as maybe their income is too high.

Continuing Support housing support

Keysteps wants to stop future homelessness in Somerset. In an effort to do this, they have many services offered. It aims to help with housing as well as other needs, including food, legal aid, and more.

Housing assistance is wide ranging. The charity will provide form filling assistance for Housing Benefit forms, which is income based housing in which the family only pays what they can afford. They also support tenants as they apply for Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP), which is the government’s main rent programme. The churches also provide free advice on Notice to Quits, and if the eviction is legal, the advice is given.

Other financial aid programmes are available. Most of them provide free material goods and not money as a form of welfare. But this form of help allows the tenant to use their income for paying rent on their private rental sector home.

Keysteps will offer families white goods as well as furniture, including beds, chairs, couches, and similar goods. This will help the family set up their new home. They will not need to buy the goods they need if they get furniture from Keysteps. Foodbank vouchers can also be passed out for a local North Somerset distribution centres.

Work schemes will support people as they try to increase their income, or find a job. Churches will help people secure money to pay for an employment course, and this is done in partnership with North Somerset Citizens Advice Bureau. They will also direct them to job training schemes, both from charities and the government. Other employment services from Keysteps include advice on CVs (both creating and updating them), information on places to turn to for money to pay bills or rent while waiting for job to start, and more.

KeySteps has a post address of Rooms 1-2, St John’s Hall, Boulevard, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1NA. For information on the rent bond scheme, or other housing assistance programmes from the churches in North Somerset, the telephone number to ring is 01934 617617.