I know it still feels a bit too early
to start talking about Christmas but now the Coca Cola and John Lewis adverts
are on, I thought I better start giving some thought to this year’s
festivities.
Sadly, for some families in
Wolverhampton – and across the whole country – Christmas is going to be a tough
time where some will genuinely be debating whether they choose to heat their
homes or buy a meal. In 2013 it’s heartbreaking to think that so many people
still live in these conditions.
The homeless charity Shelter has just
launched an emergency Christmas campaign. According to their figures, 80,000
children will be classed as homeless this Christmas. “One homeless child at
Christmas is a tragedy…80,000 is a disgrace”. It’s a sobering thought.
 |
| Our Rent First campaign launches on Monday |
Having a roof over our heads is one of
the most basic needs any person can have. Yet sadly we still see people with
nowhere to call home.
At Wolverhampton Homes, we’re just
about to kick-start our annual ‘Rent
First Please’ campaign. For the next
few weeks we’ll be knocking on hundreds of tenants’ doors, making thousands of
phone calls and working flat out to speak to as many tenants as we can to
encourage them to clear their rent arrears before Christmas. I’ve even got a
call sheet of numbers so I’ll be mucking in to help the cause as well! We’ll be
trying to sort out payment plans and collect owed rent - but we’ll also be
showing people where they can get financial and debt advice too.
I saw on the news this week that, on
average, people will spend around £29 on each present they buy this. The
pressure to buy the latest gadgets and toys for children is overwhelming. For
the first time this year, we’ve arranged a Toy Swap for tenants so they can
come along and exchange one toy for another as a way of making Christmas more
affordable.
Our message is simple – the best gift
you can give your family this Christmas is a roof over their head and a place
to call home. It might not be glamorous and you certainly can’t wrap it up in
paper – but it’ll be there long after the toys and computer games have been put
away in a cupboard, never to be seen again.
 |
| Our message couldn't really be more simple. |
Rent arrears in Wolverhampton are up
by nearly £250,000 compared to this time last year. Welfare reforms, a
stuttering economy, unemployment and years of debts and credit spending are having
a huge impact on the city and local people. But, sadly, the reality is; people
are at risk from losing their home if they don’t pay their rent.
The overwhelming majority of our
tenants pay their rent, on time, religiously and have done for years. But we
know it’s getting tougher. But we are here to help if people come and talk to
us.
It’s going to be a busy few weeks for
everyone here. But if we can help tenants clear their arrears so they can have
a more relaxed Christmas then that will be a good job well done.
If you want to find out more about
Shelter’s campaign or even donate a few pounds to the cause, visit www.shelter.org.uk.
No comments:
Post a Comment