LETTER: Housing help

Shelter has seen a surge in demand for its advice services as the high cost of housing, rising living costs and cuts to housing support leave rising numbers of people in the South East struggling to pay for their homes.

In the last year, the charity has seen a 49 per cent increase in the numbers of callers from the South East helped with housing costs, arrears and other debt issues, while in the last six months alone, visitors to Shelter’s online housing costs advice have doubled.

With further benefit cuts beginning to hit, the charity is concerned that even more people will be left desperately trying to find the means to pay for their home.

Shelter has launched an advice sharing initiative, ‘Pass It On’, to raise awareness of the importance of getting advice early to help prevent people from losing their home.

The charity is asking people to use Facebook and Twitter to pass on and share messages about Shelter’s free housing advice, which helps people prioritise and manage housing debts, negotiate with lenders or landlords and improve their budgeting skills.

We’re urging everyone in the South East to pass on the message to their friends and family that help is out there.

Free, expert housing advice from Shelter can help people stay in their homes.

Visit www.shelter.org.uk/advice