A housing trust has been shortlisted in national awards for its work to crack down on loan sharks.
Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT) has been recognised in the Guardian Public Services Awards 2011, in the Innovation and Progress: Customer Service category, after impressing with its Shop a Shark project.
Shop a Shark was launched last year to tackle problems KHT tenants were experiencing with illegal money lenders.
Steve Heverin, Operational Director for Investment at KHT, said: “Our customers told us this was a problem, so we did something about it.
“Staff have worked incredibly hard on this project and so this recognition is fantastic.”
This work has led to the successful conviction of a loan shark whose APR rates ranged from 886% to 131,000% and has enabled KHT to re-house two tenants who had been victims of loan sharks.
KHT has promoted to customers how to spot and report loan shark activity through leaflet drops, at events such as the annual Community Day, and going out into neighbourhoods to talk to people in their homes.
They have promoted services such as credit unions, which can offer low-cost loans, as an alternative to using loan sharks. They also launched a confidential helpline for victims of loan sharks and front line staff received training from the IMLT to help them spot illegal lending.
KHT, together with the IMLT, held a ‘Loan Shark Awareness Month’ this September – the first housing association in the country to do so – which included estate ‘walkabouts’, loan shark awareness training and ‘money matters’ sessions. Around 200 properties were visited and provided with information about the IMLT.
Steve added: “We are always striving to improve the lives of our customers.
“By targeting ‘hotspot’ loan shark areas and developing a successful partnership with the IMLT, we have made significant progress in reducing the threat of loan sharks in our communities.”
The winners of the awards will be announced at a ceremony in London on November 22.
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