Homeless charity Shelter has just published a controversial new map with figures showing the worst repossession areas in England. Their top 10 list includes areas in London, the North West of England, central England and the West Midlands.
Anyone looking for London properties for sale located in Barking and Dagenham should find many ads for auctions on their search. According to Shelter’s map, this particular London Borough has the highest number of possession claims per 1,000 homes, at 8.44. Those in search of Knowsley homes for sale may also find a higher than usual number of ads for auctions. This area of the North West came second on Shelter’s top 10 possession claims list, with 7.2 claims per 1,000 homes.
According to The Telegraph online, many of the areas on the list have high levels of unemployment compared to the national average and experience more rapid rises in unemployment than is usual.
Here are the top 10 worst areas for repossession in England and Wales:
| Barking and Dagenham, London |
8.44 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
| Knowsley, North West |
7.2 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
| Thurrock, East of England |
6.51 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
| Lewisham, London |
6.46 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
| Rossendale, North West |
6.46 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
| Rochdale, North West |
6.41 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
| Blackburn and Darwen, North West |
.16 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
| Burnley, North West |
6.11 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
| Newham, London |
6.07 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
| Luton, East of England |
6 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
| National average (England) |
3.5 possession claims per 1,000 homes |
Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, commented: “Most people think that repossession will never happen to them, but rising unemployment, rising living costs and high house prices mean that many people are living close to the edge already, and risk falling into a spiral of debt and repossession.
The journey from being a homeowner to becoming homeless is frighteningly swift, with just one small thing like a wage cut, a health problem or a job loss meaning that a family can no longer meet their mortgage payments.
When repossession happens, the impact on families is devastating – research shows people think repossession is worse than having to fight a child custody battle. Housing is the largest monthly cost for many homeowners, yet the affordability of housing is not getting the same government attention as the monthly costs of other essentials such as food or energy bills.”
Housing Minister Grant Shapps responded: “By tackling the record deficit we inherited we’ve prevented the need for rapid rises in interest rates that would have put pressure on hard-working families, meaning repossessions are at their lowest level since 2007.”
The coalition is also reportedly giving £19million to councils so they can provide struggling homeowners with short-term loans.
Mr Robb advised anyone struggling to resolve mortgage arrears should take action sooner rather than later. He recommended contacting the mortgage lender in question as soon as possible to take steps to avoid repossession and contacting a charity such as Shelter for advice.
Sources: Shelter, The Telegraph.
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