to think its a disgrace that Cameron is going to stop lifetime council tenancies

[sparklesandglitterxx]

and think that that is NOT the solution to the housing crisis?

the solution as far as i can see it is, lots and lots more council houses need to be built, regulation in private renting needs to be improved, and GENUINELY affordable houses to buy for those on low wages that wish to or are able to buy

fed up of seeing the great things about Britain being chipped away. Why punish renters? The whole Tory attitude towards council housing being a last resort for the destitute disgusts me. council housing needs to be brought back to what it was originally meant for...which is a decent secure home for anyone who wants one. i live on a council estate which is a mix of council, HA and bought. People stay here, they build lives here, generally it is a lovely community. i have never been happier or more settled anywhere i have lived, I have done well in my life and been able to have a big family. my children are happy and thriving at school and have lots of friends. My point is if these changes go through, they will end up DESTROYING communities like ours and so many others. The Tories just seem to want everyone either paying their landlord mates every penny they earn or pushing up house prices by buying. But not everyone wants to buy, and more importantly not everyone CAN buy, (I have friends on good money who are still priced out the market) and hardly anyone would actually CHOOSE to be in insecure, expensive private rented !! I also think that if more people are in secure housing, it will help peoples mental health (hence cutting costs in mental health services), it will improve childrens chances in life, as they wont have to keep moving schools and away from friends etc, it will encourage people to better themselves, it will cut the HB bill, and also with people spending less on their rent they will have more to spend in the economy, thus boosting it!

I also suspect it wont end here....while it will be for new tenants only to start with, i would imagine it will end up being everyone in council / HA

[19lottie82]

Where is the money going to come home for a home for "anyone who wants one"?

[angelos02]

Where is the money going to come home for a home for "anyone who wants one"?

yy to this.

[araiba]

i always thought that council houses were provided for those who required subsidies to be able to afford somewhere to live.

staying in a council house for life when you are now earning lots of money prevents those in need being able to use the house- you can afford to buy or rent privately

[Palomb]

No new tenant has had a lifetime tenancy for at least the last 4 years. - they are 1 year fixed term and then 5 year fixed term.

[swisscheesetony]

I've got a lifetime tenancy signed in May. Not all councils are equal. If you have a problem, take it up with your LOCAL council

[19lottie82]

Another Tory bashing thread without knowing the full facts. There's a shock.......

[gamerchick]

i always thought that council houses were provided for those who required subsidies to be able to afford somewhere to live

What subsidies are these then?

[BarbaraofSeville]

There is also a problem of families in temporary accomodation when single pensioners occupy family homes.

Yes, we should be building more homes, but we also need to make the best use of the resources available. I know a young single woman who was allocated a 2 bed HA house when she was unemployed and homeless.

Fast forward 10 years and she is now in a £40k pa job and under the current system has the right to occupy that house until the day she dies, which could easily be another 50 years or more.

This is in an area where housing is cheap so she could easily afford to buy but doesn't see the point because she already has a nice house with comparitively cheap rent. Yet she is depriving a small family with less money of a decent home.

Of course, it would be nice for everyone to have the home they want in an area they want for a price they can afford, but that is an unattainable dream unfortunately.

[sparklesandglitterxx]

gamerchick i bet all the misconceptions will be coming out soon ...."subsidised housing" bingo

the only people getting "subsidies" are all the landlords getting handouts of HOUSING BENEFIT

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

The concept may be being wiped at the moment, but in practice, lifetime tenancies ended moons ago. As standard, you're now offered one year to start with, and then either two or five year fixed terms.

The problem with "a home for anyone who wants one" is that it's an idealistic concept, rather than a practical one. Where does the money come from to fund this? The only way that it's practical to offer it is if the Government can afford to subsidise (it can't, at the moment) and people move on of their own accord when they can afford to (they don't, just as you didn't).

In your own case, you've openly said that you have been able to have a big family because you're in council housing. You could have rented privately, or you could have found a home within your budget to buy, but you stayed in your council home. You've now got several children who will need housing - it'll be a shock to them to have to pay private rent prices after living in a council house.

Depending on your own circumstances and morals, it's either a disgrace that this concept was ever really introduced when it had no future, and that it's been slowly obliterated over the last few years; or it's a disgrace that people have abused the system and not moved on when they could afford to.

I suppose even when it was invented, the aim was never "lifetime". It was supposed to be secure and there for as long as it was needed, but the concept relied on people wanting to better themselves and own their own home, and moving on when they could.

[meditrina]

I think this comes down to your local council.

Because I thought that what they now had was greater flexibility in types of tenure they could offer. If they still want to grant lifetime tenancies, they can. They do not have to use the newer provisions unless they want to (as the old are not illegal and can continue).

So it is time for local action, to get your council doing what your community needs.

[gamerchick]

I know OP but it's still amusing to hear what people think. The cheap council tax one had me chuckling for ages

[LarrytheCucumber]

When we were young and hard up (1970s) we would have given anything for a Council house. Even then the waiting list was 2,000 strong.
I can't for the life of me see why anyone should have had a tenancy for life, or been able to pass that tenancy on to family members. It created a group of privileged people when those of us in the private sector had to rely on short term leases and we never knew if our leases would be renewed. This has also happened several times to DNephew and his wife recently.
I think that fixed term leases (and five years is quite a long time in the rented sector) which are renewable are a good idea.

[SirChenjin]

Agree with Anchor and Barbara

If they wanted to do something really sensible then they could stop selling off the HA and council stock. Here's another example. Someone I know moved into a HA flat with his wife and DC - he earns well above the national average, both had lived in HA flats since their student days (around 20 years), she knew someone in the HA office, they got a flat in absolutely stunning building in a sought after part of the city. Flats in exactly the same (privately owned) block next door go for £350K.

Their plan is to live there for the time they need to, buy the flat (they pay minimal rent, they've been saving what they would have been spending on equivalent rent/mortgage) and then sell it (they get snapped up) to buy a place in the country with land for a smallholding. He makes no bones about it - he is delighted with his set up. His wife has been able to give up work on the strength of their outgoings.

There is no way (imo) that is right, fair or just when their are people who genuinely need low cost rental housing, now and in the future.

[araiba]

arent council house cheaper than the equivalent on the open market?

[ColdWhiteWinePlease]

Or...you could just get a job and buy your own bloody house.

The fact that we need so many Council Houses is NOT what makes Britain great.

The fact that there are so many people on the dole and on drugs, the Jeremy Kyle brigade that use the NHS/Ambulance/Police, far more than the members of society that actually pay for it, is a disgrace. They are dragging this Country on to it's knees.

What you're suggesting is a free house for anybody who wants one. Which is RIDICULOUS.

[KakiFruit]

ColdWhiteWinePlease I take home £1,650 a month and pay £1,050 in private rent. How do you suggest I save up the £20,000 needed for a deposit to buy my own house?

[gamerchick]

I think that's what it boils down to mostly imo. The 'I and people I love have had to suffer the crap that comes with private rent so therefore the rest need to suffer as well to make it equal' attitude. 30 years ago council tenants were looked down on, now people look and get jealous of what they've got. Something has gone wrong somewhere.

[futureme]

I cant see why someone should be given one for life. I think its vgreat to have cheaper rent in time of need and not have to worry about landlord kicking you out but I dont see why someone should be given a house for life.

Like Barbara says there are people around me on good salaries but still in the council accommodation which doesn't seem overly right when there is shortage of housing.

I think it should be seen as a safer/cheaper way to rent for those in times of need. I don't see why it should be for life unless they were available to all who want them! Thats just not how it is in most areas.

[gamerchick]

'Free house' another one ticked off

[youcanbeanything]

I am very concerned about the population of this country.

Encouraging people to be able to have big families by subsidising housing isn't something I am in favour of.

[ElsaAintAsColdAsMe]

No new tenant has had a lifetime tenancy for at least the last 4 years. - they are 1 year fixed term and then 5 year fixed term.

I got a lifetime tenancy in July this year.

Nice to see the old misconceptions here, council housing is not subsidised, nor are they a free house, I pay my own rent thank you.

[Robertaquimby]

The idea that lifetime council housing is unaffordable is ridiculous.Social housing tenants pay rent.

What is unaffordable is to force councils and housing associations to sell off their properties at a massive discount. These homes often end up in the private rented sector with the tax payer paying a fortune in housing benefit to private landlords.

The attitudes to people on low incomes on Mumsnet are appalling sometimes. Those of you who want council housing to be a short-term last resort, do you think it is ok that this will result in lots of families having no security, moving schools, losing friends.

Britain is full of people that work hard but don't make enough money to buy a house. Why shouldn't they have the security of a lifetime tenancy?

[BarbaraofSeville]

I assume that you are taking the piss rather than being exceptionally stupid Wine.

The problem is housing in the half the country is unaffordable to even well paid WORKING people. Both DP and I have reasonably well paid jobs and a household income that is above average, but not spectacular (approx £60k).

We are very lucky that we live in the north and bought many years ago, so are very comfortable in a 2 bed semi.

However, we would struggle to afford even a tiny flat in the south east. I really sympathise with all those who live/worth there and have to pay so much on rent without any hope of being able to buy. Even well paid people like Doctors often can't afford to live near the London hospitals, which causes problems when they are on call and have to be able to get to work quickly.

It's not just dolely layabouts in 'free' houses .

[DrDreReturns]

There is also a problem of families in temporary accommodation when single pensioners occupy family homes.
I agree with this - a relative is in her eighties and lives on her own in a three bedroom council house. I know it's harsh but she should really move to a single bedroom place and free her house for a family.