Council’s Housing Options team’s successful bid for funding to prevent homelessness

Thanet District Council’s Housing Options team has been awarded £175,000 by the Kent Housing Group (KHG), who secured £2.5m in a recent Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) bid to Kent County Council. Each local housing authority in Kent will receive an equal amount of funding.

The Council is using the money to support the prevention of homelessness of private rented sector tenants and homeowners who may be struggling to pay their rent and mortgages as a result of COVID-19. The criteria stipulates that households who have been adversely financially affected as a result of the pandemic are prioritised.

How the funding will be used

The funding will enable Thanet District Council to:

• Boost the support for private rented sector tenants to financially recover from impact of the pandemic and prevent them losing their homes
• Support landlords in recovering from the loss of rental payments received where the tenants have fallen into rent arrears
• Support the containment of COVID-19 outbreaks by supporting households to remain in their existing homes and prevent households from becoming street homeless, or resulting in insecure and transient housing arrangements
• Provide support to homeowners who may be at risk of having their homes repossessed as a result of COVID-19

We will provide financial support for tenants in privately rented accommodation to recover from the financial impact of the pandemic and prevent them losing their homes, and will help landlords to recover from the loss of rental payments received where the tenants have fallen into rent arrears. 

We will also provide financial support to homeowners who may be struggling to pay their mortgages as a result of COVID-19.

Councillor Jill Bayford, Cabinet Member for Housing at Thanet District Council said:

“Many local families continue to suffer financially as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and have fallen into rent and mortgage arrears. This funding will help us to support vulnerable families to stay in their own homes, providing stability and preventing them from becoming homeless. This is particularly important as winter approaches and COVID-19 is still very much present in the district.”

If you are a landlord and believe that your tenant might require assistance or if you are a homeowner and are struggling to pay your mortgage, please contact the Housing Options team on 01843 577377 or email LLO@thanet.gov.uk.