Wealthy Council Tenants could lose homes

[angelic_one]

Earlier in the thread people have mentioned that there is a problem in our country because people want to own their own home whereas in other countries renting all your life is seen as fine. Just wanted to point out that my problem with renting all my life is that the landlords and agencies are all complete arseholes! And as has been mentioned, you can't make any modifications to houses. You can't even put up a picture without being charged £100 out of your deposit to fix it.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

see I do agree with people giving up houses but I cant also understand? If an elderly person does not want to move, why should they. I know we need to free up housing but its not their fault people dont have a roof over their heads. I could have had my nans house but I had to live in a flat and temp accommodation like everyone else at first. Its not that easy and it was not her fault I had kids without having a house for myself!

Maybe they could be offered smaller properties but that wont happen as their is not enough! My would reluctantly accept a one bed in a nice area but it wont happen. They only offer residential which she does not want and thats fair enough. Its not just the peoples fault who live in bigger houses, maybe they have not got any other choice right now?

 

[angelic_one]

see I do agree with people giving up houses but I cant also understand? If an elderly person does not want to move, why should they. I know we need to free up housing but its not their fault people dont have a roof over their heads. I could have had my nans house but I had to live in a flat and temp accommodation like everyone else at first. Its not that easy and it was not her fault I had kids without having a house for myself!

Maybe they could be offered smaller properties but that wont happen as their is not enough! My would reluctantly accept a one bed in a nice area but it wont happen. They only offer residential which she does not want and thats fair enough. Its not just the peoples fault who live in bigger houses, maybe they have not got any other choice right now?

Are you sure about that? Where I am, someone who lives in council housing and who decided to downsize, not only gets given a place they also get 2 grand!!!!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

They stopped that years ago and it was never 2 grand lol. More like 50quid and few decorating vouchers

 

[angelic_one]

They stopped that years ago and it was never 2 grand lol. More like 50quid and few decorating vouchers

No seriously, my boyfriend's dad got another letter from the council the other day. If he leaves this house he will get 2 grand.

 

[smokey]

Its not the same everywhere and tbh 2k isnt much to give up a lifetime of memories of births, families children growing up and loved ones lost and 60 odd years in your home is it

 

[angelic_one]

Although state he'll be leaving this house in he shouldn't be getting a penny :S It's almost uninhabitable after the 29 years he's been here.

 

[DanielleM]

I have to agree I waited 5 years for a bungalow struggling with my disabled son in a house with stairs, now we are in the bungalow it is fab and Evan has more dignity than having to crawl up stairs, he can use his walking frame in the house! Also my back has been revived!!!

Council houses are so much more cheaper to rent than private rents and if the tenant earns over 100k they are more likely to buy the house, therefore the council are losing one more house that could be rented to a family in real need for the property!!

 

[angelic_one]

Its not the same everywhere and tbh 2k isnt much to give up a lifetime of memories of births, families children growing up and loved ones lost and 60 odd years in your home is it

Yes but my point is that people shouldn't settle into council houses for life, they should be viewed as temporary accommodation. It is more difficult for those who have lived there years and years, and who when they moved in there was more social housing available, but for those who are moving into council houses more recently I just don't think they should be setting themselves up to stay there for life.

I was only mentioning for the person whose nan they said would consider moving

 

[Harveysmum369]

I think people like my mothers ex who take no pride in the house(overgrown garden,not beothering to decorate etc) and are living in a 3 bedroomed house SHOULD be forced to move on...he isn't staying because he has memories,he is staying as he is too lazy to get off his fat backside to move.

 

[TwilightAgain]

What if some people moved in when they were poor and then got rich? Why should they be turfed out of their home? What about those who have spent a lot of money on doing the place up, nicely tiled bathrooms and what not then to be asked to leave? Some people like to settle in the one house

Tonnes of people abuse the system anyway. What about those who have kids just to get a house? Wouldn't you be a bit miffed if you were turfed out of your home just to house someone like that?

(No disrespect to those who need it for valid reasons) but not everyone is like that.

Haha. If you think it works that someone pops out a baby and gets handed a flat then you read too many tabloids. I have a baby, the 3 of us live in one cramped bedroom at BF's dad's house and yet we'd have at least a 2 year wait. Don't believe everything you read.

And yes these families or even single mums who are squashed in with family or friends, with nowhere else to go need these houses!!! I know people like to settle in one place, but council housing, in my opinion should NOT be that permanent. It should be a stop gap for those who really need it, for the period until their on their feet, at which a time people should be gracious enough to realise other people need it more and MOVE THEMSELVES!!!! If they don't then yes their ungrateful asses should be tossed out!!!

Maybe you're right. I shouldn't believe everything I read.

Not everyone can afford to move out of council housing though they might be looked at to be fairly wealthy in comparison to others. Take my Dad for example, he works tonnes of overtime and lives in a council house. So others may say well he's fairly well off because he has plenty in savings, but that money is supporting me through uni, fees, accommodation, living money, the lot. By the time he's paid his bills and what not, he hasn't got much left. But yet because of his income he'd be considered fairly comfortable just because someone is earning a fair amount does not in anyway mean they can afford private, to get a mortgage or afford to move on.

I get the whole 100k thing but you don't know what bills they're having to pay. How do you know their not funding their kids through university or private school or something? In which case they may not be able to afford to move on.

 

[angelic_one]

I think people like my mothers ex who take no pride in the house(overgrown garden,not beothering to decorate etc) and are living in a 3 bedroomed house SHOULD be forced to move on...he isn't staying because he has memories,he is staying as he is too lazy to get off his fat backside to move.

Same as my BF's dad. This house is disgusting...the garden is just ridiculous. Makes me so angry. His kids have grown up and moved out like 5 years ago. Some family could have made this house a lovely home by now, instead of him trashing it.

 

[smokey]

Its not the same everywhere and tbh 2k isnt much to give up a lifetime of memories of births, families children growing up and loved ones lost and 60 odd years in your home is it

Yes but my point is that people shouldn't settle into council houses for life, they should be viewed as temporary accommodation. It is more difficult for those who have lived there years and years, and who when they moved in there was more social housing available, but for those who are moving into council houses more recently I just don't think they should be setting themselves up to stay there for life.

I was only mentioning for the person whose nan they said would consider moving

But thats on the assumption that everyone can afford to move on and buy their own home elsewhere after a couple of years living in a council place, the reality is thats only realy about 2% of people that can actualy do that.
Most have no choice but to spend their life in a council house

 

[tina_h75]

That is what I said earlier, with such a shortage of homes, tenants need to show that they are looking after and maintaining their property as well as being sociable and respectable neighbours. How difficult is it to put your rubbish out and mow the lawn ?? Council estates get such bad reputations because of selfish thoughtless individuals. The three strikes and your out rule should apply, if you get warnings to maintain your property and you don't adhere to it, then move on and let someone else build a comfortable home for their family. In my opinion, its the people that are happy living in filthy squalid homes that they have destroyed, should be put into the rundown accommodation that young families are being forced into.

 

[angelic_one]

i totally get what you're saying about seeming well off doesn't mean you actually are, it's the same with my parents, the biggest thing to me is that fair enough someone may earn 60k for instance, but 60k between a couple with 1 baby is a bit different to 60k for a couple with 4 kids. So I totally understand what you mean, I really do. But at the same time you must understand that there are people who need the housing more, and who can afford private renting much less than your dad who as you say does have savings...some people have nothing. Not that I am saying your dad is doing anything wrong and should give up his house, I don't know his situation at all so I won't judge, and I'm sorry if anything sounds offensive.

And no offence but I'm going through uni myself, going into my third year next year and just had a baby and my parent's have not given me a penny, I've not needed them to I've managed by myself. So I don't really see that as a very good reason for your dad to not be able to afford renting :S :S Baring in mind most students manage to rent a house themselves! As for private school, imo paying for a child to go to private school is not as important as a family having a home!!

I'm sorry, I think tbh my boyfriend's dad has just made me angry about council houses, the way that 1 person can knock about in a 3bed and just trash it to the point he has... it's just wrong.

 

[angelic_one]

Its not the same everywhere and tbh 2k isnt much to give up a lifetime of memories of births, families children growing up and loved ones lost and 60 odd years in your home is it

Yes but my point is that people shouldn't settle into council houses for life, they should be viewed as temporary accommodation. It is more difficult for those who have lived there years and years, and who when they moved in there was more social housing available, but for those who are moving into council houses more recently I just don't think they should be setting themselves up to stay there for life.

I was only mentioning for the person whose nan they said would consider moving

But thats on the assumption that everyone can afford to move on and buy their own home elsewhere after a couple of years living in a council place, the reality is thats only realy about 2% of people that can actualy do that.
Most have no choice but to spend their life in a council house

No they can rent privately after a couple of years...

 

[cherryglitter]

We're due to become homeless on the 28th of August. My partner lost his job. I am not working obviously.

I am dreading moving into a council flat. I really am
That sounds so stuck up but I am just so different to the 'type' of people who live there. It does irritate me that those people get the council to bow down to them whenever they want.

My friend has two kids and her child was sick on the carpet. Next thing she'd ripped it all up and rang the council, few weeks later and she has laminate flooring throughout her house

 

[Harveysmum369]

We're due to become homeless on the 28th of August. My partner lost his job. I am not working obviously.

I am dreading moving into a council flat. I really am
That sounds so stuck up but I am just so different to the 'type' of people who live there. It does irritate me that those people get the council to bow down to them whenever they want.

My friend has two kids and her child was sick on the carpet. Next thing she'd ripped it all up and rang the council, few weeks later and she has laminate flooring throughout her house

Not all council estates are bad I promise

Don't know how your friend got them to do that,our council just make it 'liveable' so running water,gas switched on,secure and thats it!we have been here 2 years and still only have carpet in one room,they don't help with that.xx

 

[Harveysmum369]

That is what I said earlier, with such a shortage of homes, tenants need to show that they are looking after and maintaining their property as well as being sociable and respectable neighbours. How difficult is it to put your rubbish out and mow the lawn ?? Council estates get such bad reputations because of selfish thoughtless individuals. The three strikes and your out rule should apply, if you get warnings to maintain your property and you don't adhere to it, then move on and let someone else build a comfortable home for their family. In my opinion, its the people that are happy living in filthy squalid homes that they have destroyed, should be put into the rundown accommodation that young families are being forced into.

Here having a badly matained garden is now a breach of your tenancy and they can throw you out for it.xx

 

[cherryglitter]

God knows how she managed it, I dread to think.
Although these are the type of people who lie about disabilities and things... not nice people.
Maybe it's just because of the people I know im worried about moving into a council estate. OH has 'been there done that' and I haven't.

Sounds stupid but im actually scared!