Social housing can it be fixed?

[summer rain]

With regards to the right to buy scheme, that has taken a large number of homes out of social housing. A quick google finds that wikipedia says:

Between 1980 and 1998, it is estimated that approximately 2 million homes in the UK were sold in this manner.

This is all fine and dandy for the people who got a discounted house, sold it for a tidy profit and moved on, but disastrous for the country's stock of social housing... Those homes that have been sold are no less subject to the usual housing market than anywhere else and many are far from affordable now.

At least in London anything built after mid-noughties has no right to buy/acquire on it xx

EAT: I meant mid-90s, such a dufus

 

[summer rain]

I dont think the elderly should move for others, just my opinion though.

It annoys me when people make trouble for themselves by having more kids when given a house thus needing larger house.

I'm sorry but I disagree; do people in social housing have less right to have more kids than people in private housing? Should they put having a family on hold so as not to 'make trouble for themselves?' when with waiting list in some areas being long for larger properties this could be years and years. I think those in social housing know what they are getting themselves in for when they have more kids; at least we do and we are willing to put up with being technically 'overcrowded' for however long it takes to get something bigger. We are hoping that in a few years we can afford to buy our own place and my OH is actively working towards this. Also in our case we were entitled to a 4 bedroom when we went onto the register, but could also accept a 3 bedroom as as that time we had three children. The particular borough we were in had at that time a bedroom allocation system that was different than other boroughs and housing associations. We accepted this place because no-one in the borough we were in wanted to move to another borough so when we bidded on stuff within our borough we'd come 200th and when we bidded on stuff out of borough; we'd come within the top five, this place we came first and since it was large for a 3 bedroom we accepted it. The people at the council urged us to accept any 3 bedroom place we had a successful bid on because the waiting list for 3 beds was so long in that area they said if we have more kids then we can get the ball rolling to move into a 4 bedroom when we get to that. The situation is not dire now as we have four boys and no daughters but we are looking for somewhere larger in the meantime, mainly via the homeswap system.

Anyway I think as long as the rent is paid (and contrary to popular belief many of those in social housing do work and are on low incomes but not low enough to get any HB) then within reason larger homes should be built/provided. There is a new estate opposite my old house with several 4 and 5 bedroom housing association houses and flats; I think 100 or something of them are 4/5 bedroom but they have been very clever and the flats/houses in question are spacious but don't overall take up much more space than a 3 bedroom, they have made some of the houses in question 4 storeys. A lot of people do have larger families yet until recently most housing associations were building loads and loads of one and two bedroom flats, often for shared ownership/key workers only and this is one reason why in some areas there is quite a big surplus on 1/2 bedrooms but a shortage of other bedroom sizes. I think its a bit silly as well that in London many 3 bedroom social housing says you're allowed no more than 2 kids; anything else is overcrowded; but the same rules state that to get a 4 bedroom you need at least 5 kids-some housing associations/councils say you need 6+ for a 4 bedroom. So what does someone do with 3, 4 or possibly 5 kids if thats the rules?

I don't see the difference between council housing and housing association housing these days either; in a lot of areas the council stock has been taken over by housing associations anyway and there is legislation in place (passed in 2003, so not the tories' bidding lol) to make all social housing rents in any given area similar for similar properties, consequently at least around here council houses/flats are the same rent as the equivalent housing association property and in some cases the equivalent council house or flat will be more, not less rent than housing association. Also councils haven't built their own stuff since the 80s it is all housing association built/managed now if built since then. I don't see how they can then restrict council housing, i.e. only those on very low incomes or benefits allowed to live there, being kicked out after x amount of years, and not other social housing?

I don't see a problem either with working people applying for social housing; or that it is somehow having low aspirations; in a lot of areas unless you're a millionaire investment banker there is no way you could afford anything private therefore I think its quite prudent to apply for social housing and just wait on the list for as long as it takes. There are some areas up north where the housing association stuff costs more to rent than the same size privately rented property-but the housing association stuff will be more secure (both physically and in terms of not being able to be kicked out so easily), have new bathrooms, kitchens, windows and doors and so on so people choose it for that reason. xx

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

^ are you sure? On just my OH's salary, which is more than half of 32k, we would be entitled to a little HB.

actually lol we were told 6 quid a month but i didn't think it worth the hassle i forgot about it when i posted, because i don't claim it x

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Must be different in different areas then, according to the cost of housing. I do live in an expensive part of the country.

 

[LoraLoo]

I knew a mother who lived in a 2 bed house with three children, so 2 boys and 1 girl, the council said they didn't have another house for her to move in to, and yet there was a lady in her 60s who had a 3 bed house and she was living on her own, but the council wouldn't move her.

On the other hand I hate it when i read stories in the papers, about women getting pregnant to get a house or flat, thats just wrong.

With ref to councils buying empty properties - my sister has a house next door (not attached) that has been empty for many years, and when an inspector came round, my sister asked if the council were going to buy it to do it up and rent it out, the inspector said the council doesn't have any money to continue to do up empty houses

But why should a 60 year old woman be evicted from her home, that she may have raised her family and lived in for all her life? You could argue that the woman in a 2 bed house shouldnt have kept having children if she had no room for them.

 

[summer rain]

A lot of times these elderly people want to move and they beg the council or housing association to move them to a smaller property; I was reading somewhere the other day of an older lady whose kids had all left home begging to be housed somewhere else from her 5 bedroom-she absolutely couldn't cope with all the housework needed but in the area she was in she couldn't afford to rent privately even a one or two bedroom.

 

[LoraLoo]

A lot of times these elderly people want to move and they beg the council or housing association to move them to a smaller property; I was reading somewhere the other day of an older lady whose kids had all left home begging to be housed somewhere else from her 5 bedroom-she absolutely couldn't cope with all the housework needed but in the area she was in she couldn't afford to rent privately even a one or two bedroom.

Thats fine if they want to, but i dont think they should be forced from their homes if they dont want to leave, thats very wrong imo.

 

[summer rain]

A lot of times these elderly people want to move and they beg the council or housing association to move them to a smaller property; I was reading somewhere the other day of an older lady whose kids had all left home begging to be housed somewhere else from her 5 bedroom-she absolutely couldn't cope with all the housework needed but in the area she was in she couldn't afford to rent privately even a one or two bedroom.

Thats fine if they want to, but i dont think they should be forced from their homes if they dont want to leave, thats very wrong imo.

No I totally agree; but its ridiculous if they want to move and still the council/housing association cannot organise themselves to help them to move to someone smaller that a family may really need. xx

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

No, what I mean is, people like my old neighbor. She was given a 3bed council house and she had 3 kids. She has had 3 more kids since living their and now expects the council to move her somewhere bigger?? Tough shit, you knew the score when you moved in love!

That is what annoys me, expecting!! They have every right to have more children but do not complain about the lack or large house being given to you!

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

i totally agree with midnight fairy tbh, its not up to the council to house your family if you fill your house lol, if you brought a 3 bed house and had 5 children the bank wouldn't go ohhh bless here have a bigger mortgage on us ! get your self a 5 bed lol x

 

[LoraLoo]

i totally agree with midnight fairy tbh, its not up to the council to house your family if you fill your house lol, if you brought a 3 bed house and had 5 children the bank wouldn't go ohhh bless here have a bigger mortgage on us ! get your self a 5 bed lol x

Exactly. We bought a 2 bed house while i was expecting my 3rd baby, because we loved the house and views and garden, but we knew we would have to add an extention- at our own cost! Wouldnt have expected anyone else to pay for it as it was our choice, you make choices in life, then you deal with the consequences. Children are OUR responsibility, not the Councils.

 

[summer rain]

I am not talking about people expecting for someone to pay for a larger house but if you get a larger house and are not entitled to HB you'd only have to pay more in rent anyway so how is that skin off anyone's nose? There is always this assumption that those in social housing live off benefits and expect 'the rest of us' to pay the extra benefits needed when they move to a bigger house; this isn't fair and I was reading the percentage of those in council housing who are on benefits and it isn't as high as some would think. I do think councils and housing associations should build larger houses/flats as not everyone is a couple with only one child as much social housing is built for these days, and consequently councils are only having to house families in larger private accomodation and having to pay housing benefit often to people who would not need to claim any housing benefit if they were living in the equivalent sized social housing-it would cost far less in the long run to build new, larger properties and not have to pay part or all of that person's rent otherwise because they are having to rent from a private landlord who thinks £1000k plus a week is a reasonable rent for a 5 or 6 bedroom house. Here there is a bidding system on social housing so the council are not obliged to find anyone a bigger place (or any type of place), even if its an emergency the person is given a bidding account promptly and then given top priority when bidding so they get somewhere fairly quickly-I think this is a fair system xx

 

[cherryglitter]

im glad there is housing out there. we used to privately rent, had done for 3 years, then FOB lost his job... and we were going to be made homeless.

thank god there was a housing assoc. out there to help us!!

i do think people should be downsized if need be... it's a difficult one!

 

[LoraLoo]

im glad there is housing out there. we used to privately rent, had done for 3 years, then FOB lost his job... and we were going to be made homeless.

thank god there was a housing assoc. out there to help us!!

i do think people should be downsized if need be... it's a difficult one!

Thing is, OH lost his job few years back, and they wouldnt give us any help at all towards the Mortgage til he had been out of work for 10 months. By which time we'd have had the house repossesed Seems a little unfair x

 

[cherryglitter]

im glad there is housing out there. we used to privately rent, had done for 3 years, then FOB lost his job... and we were going to be made homeless.

thank god there was a housing assoc. out there to help us!!

i do think people should be downsized if need be... it's a difficult one!

Thing is, OH lost his job few years back, and they wouldnt give us any help at all towards the Mortgage til he had been out of work for 10 months. By which time we'd have had the house repossesed Seems a little unfair x

this happened to my dad too!! don't worry i think it's really unfair. the locks are being changed next week.

now him and my brother are more of a 'problem' to them as they are literally homeless!

 

[LoraLoo]

im glad there is housing out there. we used to privately rent, had done for 3 years, then FOB lost his job... and we were going to be made homeless.

thank god there was a housing assoc. out there to help us!!

i do think people should be downsized if need be... it's a difficult one!

Thing is, OH lost his job few years back, and they wouldnt give us any help at all towards the Mortgage til he had been out of work for 10 months. By which time we'd have had the house repossesed Seems a little unfair x

this happened to my dad too!! don't worry i think it's really unfair. the locks are being changed next week.

now him and my brother are more of a 'problem' to them as they are literally homeless!

Its senseless, isnt it

 

[Laura2919]

im glad there is housing out there. we used to privately rent, had done for 3 years, then FOB lost his job... and we were going to be made homeless.

thank god there was a housing assoc. out there to help us!!

i do think people should be downsized if need be... it's a difficult one!

Thing is, OH lost his job few years back, and they wouldnt give us any help at all towards the Mortgage til he had been out of work for 10 months. By which time we'd have had the house repossesed Seems a little unfair x

I honestly dont mean this rudely but thats one of the choices that you must of considered when you got a mortgage surely. We all know that HB doesnt apply to mortgages and in fact a lot of places very rarely want to help people who have a mortgage unless it means paying interest only, my uncles been struggling for about 2 years just paying interest only. Im not saying there shouldnt be help for those who own their home because there should be help for everyone if they really desperately needed it. It definitely shouldnt just be left to be repossesed.

I know I am lucky, I have cheap rent but I earn a low wage and I just have enough for my bills. I know a couple living in social housing that save £500 a month and have a brand new car, they have 3 bedrooms with only 1 daughter because he moved in with his mum the year before she died so was able to take the place on after she passed. It is unfair but then a lot is in life.

 

[lesleyann]

That is the one thing we have been looking into when looking at morgages is the payment protection or what ever its called so if Oh does lose his job our house would be safe/paid for, for a year after he first loses his job. It is unfair though that just because you own your home that you get no help if you really need it as at the end of the day one would guess if they only say paid the intrest off so just enough to keep the house you would be one of those claiming benefits for less time due to wanting to still buy your home.

 

[cherryglitter]

mortgage rates are ridiculous anyway, well house prices are anyway.

 

[Eternal]

That is the one thing we have been looking into when looking at morgages is the payment protection or what ever its called so if Oh does lose his job our house would be safe/paid for, for a year after he first loses his job. It is unfair though that just because you own your home that you get no help if you really need it as at the end of the day one would guess if they only say paid the intrest off so just enough to keep the house you would be one of those claiming benefits for less time due to wanting to still buy your home.

look into it really well, i may be completly wrong but the way i understood it was of you lost your job under x,y and z circumstances they would cover 60% of it or something like that. seems weird to me, i mean if my OH lost his job then it would need to be comepletly covered, not just part of it, as i say i may be wrong though so look into it.