THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has announced a new funding package for Welsh homeowners having difficulty paying their mortgage.

Julie James, Wales’s Minister for Housing, unveiled the Help to Stay Wales Mortgage Support Scheme on Tuesday, November 7.

TARGETED SUPPORT

With rising interest rates, energy costs and cost-of-living expenses, many homeowners cannot meet mortgage repayments.

As part of the Co-operation Agreement, the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru considered introducing Local Authority Mortgages. However, that idea is a non-starter.

Instead, the Help to Stay Wales Scheme formed part of discussions about the mortgage market and how the Welsh Government can provide targeted support.

PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE

With increased investment, the Welsh Government aims to prevent many individuals and families from entering possession proceedings and becoming homeless, adding to the already stressed waiting lists and high temporary accommodation costs for Local Authorities.

During 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Welsh Government provided more than £3.3 billion of support to help people struggling with the cost of living through targeted programmes which put money back into people’s pockets.

As part of the budget agreement with Plaid Cymru for 2023-24, £40m repayable capital funding has been made available over this year and next year to bring forward schemes to provide flexible financial support.

WORKING ALONGSIDE EXISTING SCHEMES

Help to Stay Wales will work alongside support offered by mortgage providers through the UK Mortgage Charter for customers struggling to afford their mortgage payments.

The Scheme will provide an option for homeowners who are at serious risk of losing their home by offering a partial repayment of an existing mortgage balance via a low-cost equity loan, secured by a second charge (behind first charge lender), reducing revised mortgage repayments to a level the applicant can afford.

The Development Bank of Wales will operate the Scheme and be interest-free for the first five years.

The purpose of the Scheme is to reduce the number of homeowners at risk of repossession and homelessness by offering them time to resolve their underlying financial issues.

UK FINANCE AND LENDERS SUPPORT SCHEME

Julie James MS said: “The current economic climate presents many challenges for homeowners as they face the significant rise in fuel costs, high inflation, escalating rent and house prices with incomes often not keeping pace.

“The aim of the Help to Stay Wales Scheme is to help homeowners to continue living in their precious homes.

“By widening our current mortgage rescue offer, we can help more people at an earlier stage before they face the awful threat of repossession.

“I would like to thank UK Finance and mortgage lenders already supporting the Scheme. I hope more lenders will provide their support over the coming weeks.

“We will continue to do all we can with our powers to protect vulnerable households through this cost-of-living crisis.”

Designated Member Siân Gwenllian said: “The detailed work undertaken through the Co-operation Agreement on the mortgage market has led to the creation of Help to Stay Wales to support people affected by soaring interest rates.

“By utilising the financial institutions and the powers we currently have in Wales, we have created a Made in Wales solution which will provide direct support to those facing the greatest difficulties.

“Despite having limited powers and resources in this area, our hope is that the direct support being provided in Wales will provide an additional safety net.”

AVOIDING THE STRESS OF REPOSSESSION

Chief Executive for Shelter Cymru, Ruth Power, said: “We’ve been campaigning for more support for homeowners struggling with their mortgage repayments.

“We welcome any initiatives that get upstream to prevent homelessness and widen the safety net for households facing a cost of housing and cost-of-living crisis.

“This Scheme will offer eligible households assistance from the early point of arrears accruing rather than waiting until they face the incredible stress of repossession.

“We must now ensure that as many households as possible have the option to use it to stay in their homes, learning from people at risk of homelessness how best such a scheme can help them.

“Anyone at immediate risk of losing their home can contact Shelter Cymru’s helpline on 08000 495 495 for independent advice.”

Mortgage Rescue, which has operated in Wales since 2008, is still available and remains a valuable last resort, but requires people to already be in possession proceedings to qualify for support.

Help to Stay Wales will extend this to include those facing possession proceedings and financial hardship.

CONSERVATIVES PROPOSE

AMBITIOUS ALTERNATIVE

Welsh Conservative Shadow Housing Minister Janet Finch-Saunders MS said: “It is not the role of the Welsh Government to hand out loans to pay off people’s mortgages.

“The UK Government has already secured a wide range of support directly from mortgage providers to support people.

“The Scheme raises several questions, including whether it is being targeted correctly and why social landlords are not being supported to invest in homes threatened with repossession.”

Speaking to The Herald, Janet Finch-Saunders explained: “A social landlord mortgage rescue scheme can work in two ways.

“The first is through a shared equity loan. If a homeowner qualifies, they will be given an equity loan from a housing association, enabling them to keep up with their mortgage payments. The loan is repayable to the housing association but is interest-free.

“The second option is mortgage to rent. If an individual cannot afford to continue owning a share of their property, the housing association could buy the property and rent it back to the individual.

“Whilst the second option would mean that the individual no longer owns their own home, they would still be able to live there, but by renting from a social landlord.

“Individuals would reach out to the relevant local authority/social landlord, so there would be no preying on struggling homeowners”.