Lettings boss pitching in to help homeless
ST JAMES’ SLEEPOUT TO RAISE CASH
A LANDLADY is taking a stand against homelessness as rapidly rising prices put more and more people at risk of finding themselves on the streets.
Michelle Walker-smith, owner of Aqua Lettings in Morpeth, said she believes property owners have a part to play in helping vulnerable tenants through difficult times as costs skyrocket.
The 50-year-old, who feels “passionate” about tackling homelessness, is set to join a host of company bosses at this year’s CEO Sleepout.
Taking place at St James’ Park on Thursday, the event will see business leaders tough a night out under the stars in a bid to raise sponsorship cash for charities helping people on the streets.
According to housing charity Shelter, more than 14,000 people in England were facing eviction at the end of last year as landlords launched proceedings, and the charity says widespread price hikes have left nearly a quarter of private renters struggling to make their monthly payments and could leave many at risk of homelessness.
Those who fall behind on rent or rack up debts in a bid to keep up with the bills may struggle later to pass the credit checks that most landlords demand, making it tough to find a new home.
And with high demand for lettings, less appealing-looking tenants, including those with criminal records, poor credit histories or even simply pets, can struggle to find somewhere to live in a competitive market.
For Michelle, that is where landlords with a social conscience have a part to play in tackling homelessness.
“You can give people a chance, even if they’ve had a bit of a shady history,” said Michelle, who worked in local government management for around 25 years before opening her letting agency.
“We work with people, we don’t discount them just because they’ve been in prison or many had a bit of difficulty in
the past. We look at the here-and-now to get them that home a give them a little bit of support. If they’re on benefits, we can help make sure they’re getting everything.
“It’s not that we’ll just take anybody, I do take references and check people out. I wouldn’t want to cause a risk to any of my landlords’ properties, but with my own I’m generally more likely to give someone a chance.
“It makes a huge difference. We have one tenant whose son would have been taken away from if we hadn’t given him a chance, because he had nowhere to live.
“I find that if you give people a chance they will reach for it with both hands and it works. One tenant came to us with addiction issues, I even went to some rehab meetings with him – he’s now been in one of my houses for years.”
Michelle said she has many long-term tenants as a result of her person-centric approach, adding that she will even look to move people around her available properties if their needs change.
Whilst she might not have a home for every tenant, she doesn’t write off applicants automatically, preferring to find out more about individual circumstances, for example, speaking to people’s probabtion officers instead of ruling out all of those with a criminal record.
She sees it as a way for herself and fellow landlords to “give back” and help prevent people ending up on the streets.
While some may judge those who end up in financial difficulty, Michelle said it is a position many of us are closer to than we might like to admit.
“My husband got made redundant in the credit crunch, while I was on maternity leave.
“Luckily we were all right, but it did make us realise how close you can come to homelessness,” she said.
“Nobody should be homeless and I feel very passionate about that.
“I want people to have homes, I don’t think ‘you’re down on your luck, anything will do,’ I want to help people feel a sense of belonging.”
Michelle is raising money for CEO Sleepout at justgiving.com/fundraising/ michelle-walker-smith6