Sarah and Raj’s story is a tale for our times. When the recession hit, Raj was made redundant and Sarah’s small business, which she had worked so hard to build, went into receivership. As the mortgage arrears stacked up, and the couple’s search for work became ever more desperate, disaster struck again as Raj had to undergo an emergency operation that kept him out of the job market for some months.

Before long, their mortgage lender began repossession proceedings, and Raj and Sarah were forced to confront the loss of the home they loved. Just before they were due to appear at court, they made contact with Shelter.

We helped them go through their income and expenditure so they were clear about their finances, and we represented them in court. Unfortunately, since the couple were already in negative equity, we couldn’t persuade the judge to suspend repossession because he thought this would lead to them running up even bigger debts.

Shelter advised them on their rights throughout the repossession process, suggested filing for bankruptcy, and advised them on their limited housing options.

Raj and Sarah found themselves in an unwinnable situation through no fault of their own. They had no children, so the council wouldn’t house them, and they didn’t qualify for mortgage rescue. They had no relatives they could stay with, and no deposit for a privately rented flat.

Over the past eighteen months, the number of struggling homeowners approaching Shelter for help has soared. We have been fighting hard for better government protection for people at risk of losing their homes, and for big increases in the construction of affordable housing to rent and buy, so that hardworking people like Raj and Sarah won’t find themselves facing homelessness.