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A rent deposit scheme is available for individuals and families that are local to Winchester. The funds can be used to help people that have no other access to money and that are out of all other options. It was created in partnership with several not-for-profit organisations and charities, including the Winchester Citizens Advice Bureau, City Council, Nightshelter, and the Quakers charity organisation.

For eligible residents, including the homeless, the scheme will provide an interest free loan, and the money is used to paying the deposit on a new home in Winchester. The scheme can also be combined with other programmes, such as housing benefits. While the money will need to be repaid over time using a payment plan, it can help those who are struggling to come up with the funds to pay the rent deposit. Since the money is interest free, it will also make the repayment easier than it would be someone turned to another source of financing.

The scheme is only available for accommodations that are located in the private sector in the city, including the wards of St. Michael and St. Paul among others. Anyone applying also must have a connection to the city, including they need to have lived there, worked, or have immediate family in the region.

The loan will be for people on a low income, but they do need to repay it. Therefore the applicant needs to have some form of income coming in, or they can be on benefits. Also, the prospective tenant will need to select the property to let, however the Project Worker that administers the scheme will need to approve the property selected.

There are many terms to the scheme. The loan for the deposit will be paid directly to the Letting Agency or Landlord, and not the tenant. Before these funds are issued, there also needs to be a tenancy agreement in place, and the Winchester Project Worker will also need to approve this to ensure that the accommodation is affordable and meets the terms of the scheme. Also, an agreement to repay the loan needs to be signed, and if this is not done then legal proceedings can be started by the worker.

Ongoing tenancy support is offered too, and this will be mostly done by the Citizens Advice Bureau. They will help people budget for the loan payments, assist them with settling in, and go over any other housing problems that arise during the tenancy.

All funds are raised from the community, or use government funds from Winchester City Council. Do donate if you can, and one charity that collects money from the community is Winchester Quakers.

To apply for a loan, or for more information, the Project Worker is the best point of contact. The address is 16 Colebrook Street at the Quaker Meeting House in Winchester. Another option is to call 07783 46 00 18 on Wednesdays only, or the worker can be emailed at WinchesterRDS@gmail.com.