THE number of people seeking debt advice in Leeds is up by a fifth while the figures for repossessions has also shot up across the region.

There were 2,178 mortgage possession claims made at county courts across North and West Yorkshire between April and June – 16 per cent higher than the same period last year, according to housing charity Shelter.

Citizens Advice bureaux across the city have received 20 per cent more enquries about mortgages and other secured loans.

Rocketing housing costs has meant one in four households in Yorkshire and the Humber are suffering stress or depression.

And 141,000 households in the region say meeting household bills is a constant struggle, with 58,000 falling behind with rent or mortgage payments.

It is clear that the credit crunch is having a powerful effect on family life, yet despite the numbers of people being forced out of their homes there has not necessarily been a significant increase in homelessness.

The number of people seeking beds at hostels is the same, according Martin Patterson at St George's Crypt, while the waiting list for social housing is steady, said Leeds City Council.

It seems that the people who have lost their homes as a result of the credit crunch have become part of the "hidden homeless" that often go unaccounted for as they seek shelter with friends and family.

Paula Thackray and her teenage children have seen their lives torn apart after losing the family home.

While Paula has found space at her parents' place in Cross Gates, Jade, 17, and Kyle, 14, have had to find beds with their paternal grandparents six miles away in Kippax.

At the heart of the Thackrays' family crisis was the death of Paula's ex-husband Wayne, who had helped pay the mortgage on the house at Allerton Bywater before it was repossessed.

Combined with rising living costs Paula, a medical secretary, fell into heavy debt and has had to declare herself bankrupt.

The tag has meant she cannot rent from the private sector, even if she could afford it.

"It's been dreadful," said Paula. "The children have lost their dad, the house and now me."

She has since registered as homeless and is now in the queue for social housing with Leeds City Council.

At the end of June there were 1,840 homeless households in temporary accommodation across Yorkshire and the Humber including 432 in Leeds, 90 in Wakefield and 168 in Kirklees, according to data from Shelter.

"There's no question that repossessions are rising across Yorkshire and The Humber," said a spokesman for national housing charity Shelter.
"The rise has been as shocking as it is across the country. There's no doubt that rising food and fuel bills are going to put an extra pressure on struggling homeowners."

And there has been a noticeable increase in rental inquiries for affordable housing at Leeds and Yorkshire Housing Association, said chief executive David Whitehead.

Get in touch with the YEP newsroom on 0113 238 8917 with your credit crunch stories.