Mrs Follett came to see the excellent work Bedford Borough Council has been doing with other agencies - including the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Bedford Pilgrims Housing Association and the charity Shelter - to alleviate the problems caused by homelessness and mortgage arrears.
The projects she was told about included:
- Bedford Borough Council's new court desk which helps homeowners threatened with eviction because of mortgage arrears. This was established in May 2008 with funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government and is one of the first in the East of England
- Bedford Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) housing advice service which is supported by Bedford Borough Council and hosted by the charity Shelter . This will provide specialist housing help and an essential link between CAB's money advice service and the new court desk
- Bedford's new, 'fast track' a mortgage rescue scheme. This will be launched early in the New Year in partnership with Bedford Pilgrims Housing Association (BPHA).
Barbara Follett, Minister for the East of England said:
"I am very pleased that the people of Bedford are going to be among the first in the country able to access the government's £200 million mortgage rescue scheme which the Chancellor announced in his Pre-Budget Report on Monday. Eligible families in Bedford will be able to apply for this scheme from the beginning of December."
Cllr Chris Black said:
"We were delighted to welcome the visit by the Minister for the East of England to find out more about the work we are doing in Bedford to ease the pressure on homeowners during this current economic situation.
"We are not complacent and recognise that difficult times lay ahead for many tenants, homeowners and people on the housing register. The initiatives that we have brought in show that early preventative work can make a difference to people facing the threat of repossession.
Bedford Borough Council is continuing to work proactively with partner agencies like Shelter, CAB and BPHA to support residents through the difficult economic conditions we all face."
The message to people struggling with their mortgage is "get in touch" and seek help from your lender, the CAB on Bedford 354384 or Bedford Borough Council's Housing Options Service on Bedford 221785.
