A pilot scheme described as helping “tenants threatened with eviction to stay in their homes” has been extended after Cornwall Council won hundreds of thousands of pounds in new funding. 

Up to £5,000 is available from the Tenancy Sustainment and Rescue Project to help tenants of privately-owned properties who have fallen behind in their rent and, as a result, are at risk of homelessness.

In December 2021, the council and Citizens Advice Cornwall were awarded over £800,000 from the Covid Outbreak Management Fund and from government money to deal with homelessness. Since then the scheme has helped more than 40 households to remain in their homes with further support in place to help to address the reason for the rent arrears.

With the pilot now at an end, the organisations have received an extension of the scheme meaning they have £434,000 to support households until the end of March next year. 

This provides the funds to support work with people who either ask for help or are referred by third party organisations. 

The scheme is open to landlords who are thinking about serving notice due to rent arrears as well as tenants at risk of homelessness.

Citizens Advice Cornwall will work with tenants and landlords on a case-by-case basis looking at the reason for the arrears and provide advice and assistance to support them in sustaining their tenancy. In exchange for addressing the arrears and providing support, landlords will then be expected to allow renters to remain in the properties for up to 12 months after they have been given assistance.

Cornwall councillor Olly Monk says: “Preventing homelessness is a priority. Keeping people in their homes is clearly very important, especially given the current pressures on housing availability. This scheme will help to ensure that people who have perhaps fallen on hard times and may otherwise have become homeless will be able to stay where they are.”

And Gill Pipkin from Citizens Advice Cornwall adds: “Our charity is seeing ever increasing demand from people struggling in the current cost of living crisis. Security of housing is a key element of keeping people safe and reducing pressure – this funding is helping us make a real difference to people in crisis, enabling them to stay in their properties and maintain their social, work and support networks.”