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Debts - just talk about it
1st October 2007
A Colchester-based housing association is pulling out all the stops to help people in financial difficulties clear their debts and remain in their homes.
Colne Housing’s newly appointed Income Management team leader, Sylvia Guy, is starting a new campaign to liaise more closely with tenants who are having trouble meeting their rent repayments.
Through closer contact, Sylvia and her team aim to keep people in their homes and reduce the amount of tenants in arrears.
Colne has been providing affordable homes in Essex for more than 30 years and plans to build a further 300 over the next three years.
Sylvia says by having closer liaison with tenants she hopes to iron out problems before they become acute: “We look upon court action and eviction as a last resort, but there are times when this is the only way.
“We will do everything we can to help tenants stay in their homes.”
Now Colne is also introducing a new more efficient computer system that will result in staff having with more time to address tenant issues.
Sylvia, who has had more than a decade’s experience in housing work, says the team will also be able to act in an advisory capacity – offering information on benefits and other organisations that may be able to help, such as Shelter and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
“We want tenants to keep in touch and not worry about contacting us. We want to build relationships with our tenants from the moment they join us so that they know they can talk to us if anything is going wrong,”
If you are a Colne Housing tenant and need to talk to Sylvia, you can reach her on 01206 244723.
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