Frome residents of Flourish Homes will have the chance to get a free financial health check-up when the local housing association opens the doors to its Money Doctor surgery.
Flourish Homes staff will join representatives from Mendip Community Credit Union and the local CAB to offer free prescriptions to help put tenants’ finances on the road to recovery.
The free drop-in surgery, which is taking place on Thursday May 8 at the Frome Residents’ Centre on St John’s Road, has been organised to help tenants who have got behind on their rent. Tenants with large rent arrears are at risk of losing their homes through eviction.
“Tenants can get into financial problems which spiral out of control, leaving them unable to pay high priority bills like their rent, putting them at risk of losing their home if they fall into serious arrears,” explained Income Recovery Manager Terry Pitfield at Flourish Homes, which is a member of the Aster Group.
“Our Money Doctor surgery offers free prescriptions to help our tenants’ finances get a clean bill of health. A lot of the people in rent arrears are struggling with large debts. Together with Mendip Community Credit Union and CAB, we hope to help them get a grip on their finances, to prioritise key bills they must not fall behind with and make sure they know the importance of paying their rent. They need to understand that they are at risk of losing their home if they get into serious rent arrears.”
The Money Doctor Surgery aims to bring down rent arrears among Flourish Homes tenants by offering them free, impartial assistance to help them solve their cash crises. Tenants who attend will get the chance to find out about:
- Low interest loans from Mendip Community Credit Union for people on low income to tackle the doorstep loan companies who can charge 170 percent APR on the money they lend
- Easy ways to save for the future
- Whether they are receiving all the benefits to which they are entitled
Housing officers from Flourish Homes, which took over the ownership and management of Mendip District Council’s housing stock in 2001, will also be on hand to discuss any neighbourhood issues tenants may want to discuss.
