Published on Monday 08 November 2021
A grant of £381,000 has been awarded to BCP Council to support residents who are privately renting and are struggling to meet their payments due to the negative impact of COVID-19.
The successful bid to the government’s Homelessness Prevention Grant scheme will be used to provide extra support for vulnerable households on low incomes who are in rent arrears to reduce the risk of them being evicted and becoming homeless.
Councillor Karen Rampton, Portfolio Holder for People and Homes, said: "We welcome this additional funding to support our most vulnerable residents who are privately renting and are in financial difficulty. The pandemic has had a huge impact on some households and this funding will support our dedicated work to prevent people from becoming homeless and helping them to keep a roof over their head."
The council’s Early Prevention service provides early help for households who are renting privately who are at risk of being evicted. The dedicated outreach team are available to discuss and advise residents to prevent a situation becoming a crisis.
In 2019/20, 832 local households were supported by the service and in 2020/21, 681 were given support - a slight reduction due to the ban on evictions during COVID-19 restrictions.
Private-sector tenants in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, who are struggling with their rent, can contact the Early Prevention team on: 01202 118600 or email: earlyprevention@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
Landlords who would like more information about how BCP Council can help them to support their tenants, email: landlordrelationsteam@bcpcouncil.gov.uk or call: 01202 123147.