Watford Scheme can Help with Rent Arrears

Residents of Watford who are in danger of eviction may be able to obtain funds necessary to keep them in their homes. Information on rental arrears assistance schemes may be provided by the Customer Services Centre, and the team can link people with schemes, DHP payments, and other financial aid. What may prove to be lifesaving funds are disbursed to eligible residents who will likely be unable to remain in their homes without such support.

What if I am facing eviction?

The purpose of these programmes is specifically to help tenants avoid eviction. Community leaders acknowledge that they have a responsibility to help citizens obtain and retain adequate housing. The costs of doing so only increase as a result of an eviction, so it is actually cheaper to help a family stay in their current home than to try to rehouse them. The aim is to keep the Watford tenant from being homeless.

Funds are allotted each year to be distributed to those residents deemed needy enough to warrant supplemental support. Direct payments for rent arrears to landlords may in some cases be authorised if it is deemed necessary to help someone remain in their current home. The applicant will never be given the money themselves. If there are no funds for paying rent to stop the eviction, then advice or linkage can be arranged.

The Housing Options Team with Watford Borough Council is the most prominent provider of assistance on behalf of tenants who seek help with back payments. Many are at high risk of sleeping rough. They prioritise applicants based on need and the ability to consistently afford their current home if assistance is provided. Families with children are of special importance since they are particularly vulnerable. The schemes also help people living in temporary housing in Watford.

The Team estimate that there are approximately 200 households at any time who have lost their primary home, yet are being helped with temporary accommodation. Many of them live in shelters or hostels in Watford and struggle to come up with the money for rental deposits or housing costs. This lifeline can help a family recover so that they may be reunited with a home that they can permanently afford. Any person with special needs as well as elderly residents may get assistance with an independent living solution.

Those who are experiencing extreme hardship and are in arrears on rent to the property owner are encouraged to drop by the Customer Services Centre at Town Hall on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Contact may also be made by calling 01923 226400 or emailing housing.watford.gov.uk.

Those residents with mortgage arrears that are local  to Watford are also offered assistance with getting back to a current status. The national aide programme Shelter is committed to helping owners through a combination of advice and negotiation with lenders. So both tenants and homeowners can get financial help for their needs.