AIBU to think the council should consider who they put where better?

[coily]

Trying not to be a TAAT but being in a position where I couldn't actually choose where I lived

AIBU to think the council shouldn't have housed families in blocks of flats with elderly people especially living directly below us?

It's impossible not to cause noise pollution to some extent when you have children in a flat - but I think it's exaggerated how much of a nuisance the families are in my block because we're placed above people who spend a lot of their time at home during the day

Our block is nastily divided now between the families vs the old folk and it's not really anyone's fault but the councils I think

If the children run or shout in the communal areas the older folk are yelling at the mums to control their kids better - and we don't let our kids actually play out there but kids are unpredictable especially smaller ones, on the way in and out of the building we can't gag them despite wanting to ourselves sometimes as a concrete block echoes

Wouldn't it be better to have blocks of elderly or single people and blocks of families?

[ClashCityRocker]

Well, maybe. But the chronic shortage of council accomodation means that won't be possible.

Plus, what about childless couples? Who then go one to have children?

[giantpurplepeopleeater]

Hahahahahaha!

This isn't serious, right?

You can't honestly believe with the number of homeless/ vulnerable people needing homes and the scarcity of council housing they could in any way accomplish this.

[Abbbinob]

YANBU where i live there are 3 newbuild blocks of HA flats and then a smaller block for elderly people. (well i don't know if it's specifically for elderly people but all the people who live their are elderly so i guess so) works out much better i think as everyone in our block has young children so are more forgiving of the noise that comes with kids

[SaucyJack]

Nope- that's just life when you live in a flat. On both sides.

[WorraLiberty]

Back when there was plenty of housing to go round, that's exactly what councils used to do.

But obviously, due to the chronic council home shortage, they really can't do it any more.

So no, the council aren't to blame.

[coily]

That sounds much better abbinbob

I don't ever notice the other families noise as I'm tuned out due to my own

Housing is scarce but if they allocated who goes where better they'd probably have more funds available as there's got to be a lot of hassle and resources drained that comes with neighbours not getting along and people not liking where they live too ambitious a dream?

[Badoodle]

I dont know where you live, but where I am (London borough) council housing is so scarce that many people are now being housed not just out of borough, but out of London. If they're 'lucky' they get whatever is available in one of a handful of large housing estates, and there is no 'choice'.

I can't see how what you are proposing is in any way workable, sadly.

[coily]

No I had no choice. I'm in large city too so on an estate.

I'm grateful for the roof however struggling with the dynamics that come with it between neighbours

[WorraLiberty]

Yes but you could struggle with that anyway.

Not all families get along with each other, in fact kids fighting with neighbours kids/making too much noise is often a problem everywhere.

Equally, not all elderly people want to be placed with just other elderly people. Some love to have young families around them.

[tinyterrors]

In an ideal world then yes councils would be able to do this. With the huge shortage of housing, never mind appropriate housing, it's not going to happen.

I'm in Yorkshire on a rubbish estate but there are still families cramped into too small houses and a six year waiting list for a house unless you have a priority, even then the wait can be two years.

The only good thing with our HA is that you can't apply for a flat, except ground floor flats, if you have a child under 16. But even that doesn't account for childless couples in a flat who go on the have a child.

[coily]

If we didn't all have to decorate our homes ourselves (I was literally given a concrete box - no flooring and no door handle or door matching and in need of lots of wallpaper stripping and painting so basically it requires a complete renovation) I'd suggest we all just mutual exchanged with each other in our block putting the older folk at the top

But everybody has to put so much money and time into getting their homes habitable it's not like anyone would swap happily

[CotedePablo]

No idea of a workable solution. However I'm reminded of growing up in a tenement in Glasgow. Next to our block was another block with one bed flats, known as the Spinster Flats. I don't know if that was an official name or not, and it was populated by single women, but can you imagine getting away with that these days?
Sorry for the slight derail OP.

[WorraLiberty]

What makes you think the older people would all want to live at the top of a block of flats anyway?

[ilovesooty]

Not much fun for the elderly on the top floor if the lift breaks down.

[CotedePablo]

Actually, expanding a little on what Worra says, I'd think a fair proportion of older people would prefer a lower floor if they have any problems climbing stairs.

[MattDillonsPants]

I was in your position last year op and I sympathise ....but of course the elderly can't live on the upper floors because of access.

I can only advise you to do ALL you can to get a swap or rehomed. See the GP if needed.

[coily]

Oh bugger had completely forgotten about climbing stairs if the lift broke thankfully it never has yet that I know of

I thought they'd like not having noise of families above them

Horrid thing is - I love the area, love the community, just dislike the block dynamics. Getting rehoused would almost certainly be to somewhere far worse

[MattDillonsPants]

My neighbour had to get mediators in as her downstairs neighbour (elderly) was beside himself with the noise of her 2 year old. My neighbour was very upset at his constant complaints but so was he with the noise...my neighbour refused to stop her child running through the flat because she felt it wasn't fair to the child...and that all children should be able to run around...her thinking was that it wasn't her fault she didn't have a house or garden. But her neighbour was suffering badly.

I can't advise much OP...are you having lots of complaints?

[OneLove10]

You say you are grateful but you aren't really, because if you were you would be appreciative you were given a roof over your head. I'm sure lots of homeless people would love to have your problem.

[ilovesooty]

I doubt if she's been "given" it. How condescending.

[Junosmum]

A local council I worked for did what you are describing and it ended up as hell. It resulted in a small block of flats full of young single mums visited at all hours by friends who would annoy neighbouring properties. We could have stationed a social worker in the lobby. The only solution was to mix folk up.

[Babyroobs]

YANBU. It must be hard for elderly folks having to put up with a lot of noise every day from kids and it would make sense to house them in a seperate block. However I do understand that with the current housing situation in London this will not be possible. I am constantly exposed to my next door neighbours kids who scream and shout day and night. Their bedroom is adjoining ours and I am constantly sleep deprived. They wake me at 6am every day, scraping toys etc along the walls. Yesterday they screamed and shrieked the whole day in the garden from 9-6, not just normal playing noise which would be fine but constant squealing / shouting/ crying. I can't imagine how much worse it must be for people who are elderly and / or possibly unwell or housebound. At least when it all gets too much for me I can go out and I do have the choice to move home wheras those in council accomodation may not have that choice.

[WorraLiberty]

You say you are grateful but you aren't really, because if you were you would be appreciative you were given a roof over your head. I'm sure lots of homeless people would love to have your problem.

How has she been 'given' it?

She still has to pay rent.

[BrandNewAndImproved]

I live in a small block of 2 bed flats and adjoining the block in another block of 1 bed flats. It is families in one and elderly people of young single people in the other.

It works really well apart from one couple who have bought their flat in the family block (not officially but that's what it is) who complains about dc playing outside, and goes downstairs (she's on the top floor) to pull the mat in and generally makes things awkward and is always on the phone to the council about everything. If someone's kid leaves their bike outside the front door for a night we get passive aggressive letters put up about it and then letters from the council. She's ridiculous and he's not that better.

I'm not really sure why some people can't just live and let live. My upstairs neighbour has a noisy 5 year old, I have friends round occasionally and probably make to much noise, I hear her shagging, she hears me, she plays music sometimes, so do I and neither of us complain or really care. You can't live in a flat and expect to have it like a detached house.