Getting a home through council/housing association?

[NewlyMarried]

Popped over from 2nd trimester. I don't understand why you can't just rent privately like the rest of us. It annoys me that some people seem to expect to get everything given to them as soon as they're pregnant. That's part of the reason there are so many young mums.

council houses/flats are supposed to be there for people in desperate need of accomodation. It shouldn't be for those that just dont want to pay the higher rent. Together, you both earn a half decent wage. Look in the paper for places with cheaper rent. We earn a similar wage and pay £425 a month rent on a 2 bed house. Yes it's a lot of money and we will struggle when i'm on maternity leave, but i don't expect the council to give me somewhere cheaper.

i also believe that council accomodation should be a temporary solution, until the tenants are on their feet and able to rent somewhere else. They shouldn't expect to stay there permenently.

We'd love to be able to get a mortgage, but are unable to thanks to the current financial climate.

I think that there is a difference between renting a council house and having rent benifits. Renting a council house can be a great way to get started as you can get the option to later buy in many cases.
Also whats wrong with your rent going back into the council pool rather than going to a private landlord??
Just because you are renting from the council rather than privately it doesnt mean you are getting massive subsidies.

And why should the council only help people who dont work. I think people who are working but currently in lower paid roles should get help over people who arent even out there working (talking only about people able to work and not)

Each to their own.

 

[kat2504]

I just googled Preston property rental and a load of estate agents came up. Also look in your local paper.

 

[Missy21386]

I think that there is a difference between renting a council house and having rent benifits. Renting a council house can be a great way to get started as you can get the option to later buy in many cases.
Also whats wrong with your rent going back into the council pool rather than going to a private landlord??
Just because you are renting from the council rather than privately it doesnt mean you are getting massive subsidies.

And why should the council only help people who dont work. I think people who are working but currently in lower paid roles should get help over people who arent even out there working (talking only about people able to work and not)

Each to their own.

There is a difference between renting a council house, and taking all the benefits possible possible.... but if you have the money (earning 30k or more etc) then i dont think that council accommodation is suitable. There are already too many long term work-shy scroungers in them, or those that earn enough to afford property elsewhere but dont want to leave, that's why the waiting list is so long.

i agree that those who ARE working should get more help than those that can't be bothered to work.

I was made homeless (and i was working) yet i had to wait quite a while to be able to get a crappy 1 bed flat just because i wasnt pregnant. I had that flat for a year before i moved on to private rented accommodation with my OH.

There are other schemes elsewhere to help first time buyers too. part ownership, rent-to-buy options etc.

I hate having to rent, as it is dead money, and its making saving for a mortgage deposit even harder, but there are others that are in a far worse situation that need the council properties more than i do.

 

[kat2504]

And yes, council rents are massively subsidised. By council taxpayers money that the people in the council houses often don't have to pay.

I have no objection whatsoever to the tax I pay helping out people in need. But I do object to it being given to subsidise the rent of someone who has a similar income to me.

anyway a quick google says that councils have to allocate according to need so I do not believe that they can ignore applicants financial status.

It would appear that Preston doesn't have any council houses anyway, here is a link to the social housing associations
https://www.preston.gov.uk/housing/housing-advice/apply-for-housing/

 

[bumpbear]

I used to work for the local housing authority. Financial status is def not a consideration when assessing people for a place on the housing waiting list, and rightly so. Also, for the OP, if your area has a waiting list as long as the one in the area I worked in, you'll be waiting years before you're allocated anything. It's not an immediate solution to your problems for sure. I'd seriously start looking in to private sector rentals.

I do wish people would stop making sweeping statements about who deserves help and who doesn't. Who are we to judge? Somebody might think we're not worthy, and how would we like that, ey?

 

[mightyspu]

I agree with a previous poster's comment about looking at your budget, My DH and I live on a similar wage (in fact less) and pay £750 a month mortgage. Yes we were lucky enough to get one 3 years ago. And the only way we could do that was to look at what we spend. We don't have games consoles, expensive clothes and fancy gadgets. If we want something, we check ebay, freecycle or ask for it for Christmas/Birthday's etc. I'm not saying we live like paupers, but something more important happened for us and that was our son.

I'd suggest you write down all your outgoings and ingoings and see what you can sacrifice. Nights out etc will tail off in a few months anyway!

 

[Narla83]

Just popped in from 2nd tri hope you dont mind....

I dont see any reason why you shouldnt go onto the council waiting list hun. If you and your oh work then youve paid your taxes

Me and my oh were renting private before ds was born, I had to stop working at 28 weeks and my partner lost his job so we couldnt afford it anymore we would have stayed if we could, we moved in with my mum and have been here a little over a year and have just been offered a house which needs work but why shouldnt we. We'll pay the rent and council tax without any help and we'll look after it, drives me mad when you get people who refuse to work given things on a plate that most people would love to have!!

Id say go for it but do it now b/c it will take a while and when your situation changes make sure they know!! Good luck.

 

[MonkeyFeet]

This website will give you an idea of what you're entitled to benefits wise https://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

The lists are long though and when you approach for an application they're likely to suggest you look for private accomodation if you can afford it, in fact they may well give you a list of landlords that the council recommends and who may be on a scheme where the council covers the deposit if you're not able to. I know they do that where we live.

An important consideration though is that the council will not include your pregnancy on your application until you get your MATB1 form at (I think) about 25 weeks. In all likelihood in spite of being pregnant now they'll assess you as requiring a 1 bed property until your pregnancy documentation is official and you would only be able to bid on 1 bed properties with the council, I'd imagine with local housing associations as well.

Good luck.

 

[dreamqueen]

well said BumpBear

and Kat....why should council housing only be temporary?
The purpose of this housing is to provide people with affordable housing! Should that not come with security?
I would never again rent privately.....i have found private landlords to be very greedy, unhelpfull when it comes to repairs....and there is absolutely no security! All it takes is an eviction notice and its time to move on. Renting a council house is just as good as buying...with the security it brings and the option to buy in the future.
Seems there are too many people out there envious of council tennants! No one has the right to judge anyone....and just as well the rules you wish to impose would never be considered!!

 

[kat2504]

It wasn't me that said it should only be temporary!
What I did say is that it should be allocated according to need so that someone who has no way of affording a private rent should be housed in preference over someone who can afford it.

 

[dreamqueen]

Sorry Kat, i must have been mistaken!
I also dont think that it should be allocated due to finances, as these factors can change at any time! And then that would give priority to people who dont work at all.....

 

[redbubble]

At the end of the day the OP and her partner are in need of a place together. They are ENTITLED to social housing regardless of what anybody else thinks they should or shouldnt get. With a baby on the way, security of tenure is a huge must and you cannot get that in private rented accommodation - no matter what anyone says.
They pay their taxes and theyre entitled to something in return. Why should people who have never worked or have no intention of ever working be given all the breaks??
Even if Preston Council dont have council properties, they wil lstill hold the list for the housing associations, etc in the borough. So get your names on there and then inform them of your change in circumstances when you get your matB1 form.

Dont let anybody tell you you shouldnt be going for social housing or that it should be for people worse off than you. those worse off will get their property if they go on the list, whether it be a crappy 1 bed or not. If theyre homeless theyll be in a higher band than you anyway, so dont feel guilty about it.

I dont think the OP was asking to be berated for wanting social housing, she was asking a specific question, so either answer it or go rant elsewhere. shes pregnant and doesnt need the added stress of people haing a dig! *Rant over*

 

[Jennifurball]

Aww thank you for that! I did go quiet because I sensed it could turn a bit funny and didn't want that.

Like you say, I am entitled, I have been paying my taxes for the past 12 years and so has OH.

I also agree with the security of it all. Most, if not all, landlords buy somewhere and rent them out for extra income as some kind of business venture and if it doesn't work out for them, or they decide they can't be bothered with the hassle of being a landlord, the tenants suffer, as I unfortunately have, twice. It was hard enough then having to move and find a deposit for elsewhere, without a baby in tow.

We have been in touch with one association this afternoon and we are to apply online tonight so see how it goes.

Thing is with private rented, we would need about £1000 upfront just to get the keys and that is without furniture and setting up bills. We really aren't in that position, £30k or no £30k, that really isn't a lot between 2 people over the year. Most people I work with earn more than that alone.

 

[mightyspu]

Do they not give you at least some of your deposit back Jenifurball?

I think people do not understand the difference between those who rent a house from the council, and those who have their entire rent paid by the council.

 

[redbubble]

Our landlord put the rent up by £100 pm after the 1st year so we had no choice but to move to a cheaper place. At least we managed to get a 3 year tenancy on this one and they fixed the rent for us. Still paying off the furniture we bought for the last house though and even though we earn more than you guys, we both had previous relationships, my DF has 2 teenage children from his 1st marriage that he pays for and we both brought baggage in the form of debts from our previous relationships. To top it all off, neither of us had a thing at all between us so had to buy everything new and now were permanently skint (trying to pay things off rather than save so that we can get back on our feet).

 

[Jennifurball]

Do they not give you at least some of your deposit back Jenifurball?

I think people do not understand the difference between those who rent a house from the council, and those who have their entire rent paid by the council.

I know! It works out about £260 a month rent instead of the average of £550 private. We aren't scrounging, it just makes sense if we can do it cheaper.

We would be contributing more to the council than the lazy toads like the woman who took over my sisters old house, £700 worth rent being paid to the landlord by the social, in a gorgeous 3 storey town house, just because she isn't working, with 7 kids, after my sister and brother in law worked sp hard to pay that and provide for their family in that very house for the past 2 years. It is so wrong. And her husband works who she claims doesn't live there. I would understand people looking down on me if I was like that.

Well the first flat was through an agent who stole our deposit and 3 months rent and never paid the landlord, he took over £2500 off us so when we went, we were owed nothing and the second time, he was a friend of a friend and stupid us never did a contract (although I suggested it) so we never got our deposit back!

 

[mightyspu]

Did you go to citizen's advice for the money lost from the theiving agent? If the landlord chose the agent, it's not on that you should foot the bill? Also, if you do end up privately renting again, please do so through an agent, because they HAVE to give you your deposit back (unless there is damage to the property) The laws have changed for tenants now to make it fairer and to try and whittle out the scumbags.

And as for the previous question about benefits, that IS means tested, they ask for your income, outgoings and any savings, so it depends. My