Housing

Scares the life out of me; we're in rented, if we manage to buy somewhere we'll be OK but it's looking more and more likely that I won't get abck to work (DS3's SN getting mroe severe, or at least we are realising it IYSWIM) and it all depends on what we can do with dh's salary I think: we could do a 50/50- 'cept there are none where we are. Or places that would rent to someone with no work at all. So quite where I am going to live when I get old I do not know.

The school here (Comnp) is mpopular and I am already having people ask me if I plan to move away and let a local () have a place (the answer in fact is that ds1 will probably go to SNU but ds2 will go there if we're here) and that emans house prices are something like 30% higher than a few miles away; we're OK atm but live year (house lease) to year: finding a school to accept you isn't as easy when you move mid year and all your school age kids have SN!

It needs addressing but ATM costs too much I guess.

Sorry i havn't read the whole thread

I think housing is a huge issue and i am looking forward to our local Tory leader knocking on our door (should be this week), we are one of many families who are waiting to be housed, i am looking forward to showing him my house and where me and my Autistic daughter sleep (on the sofa). We have been waiting for a house for a year (which is nothing compared to some families), we are in the top band on the council list for a 3 bed house but 3 bed houses rarely come up in our area and when they do we still don't get one (even though we are top of the list).

Our village is full of old people and the school is struggling to get enough children to keep it going (in september only 3 children are starting), there are no houses for families to move into, all the 3 bed houses (there are only around 10) are lived in by elderly couples, there are only a couple 2 bed houses and the rest are huge houses which are owned by well off elderly people or are holiday homes (which are only lived in for a couple weeks a year). There are no plans to build new houses in our village so we (and others) will be forced to move away.

I want for courteous neighbours who don't play loud music or party all hours.

And, at times, seems like a lot to ask.

LENINGRAD As you know I'm a Christian, turn the other cheek and find out what more you have to say, anyway I always find you sometimes agree with someone on one issue, but not others.

LENINGRAD Would force people to be more tolerant No, I don't like the sound of that! Sounds like a police state!.

LENINGRAD TO WANT LESS As you are aware I don't agree with most of what you say, but to encourage a society to want less is a good thing. I have read the book Affluenza and I feel rampant consumerism can make us very unhappy.

Oh, there we go:

apparently they are changing the rules on councils' right-to-buy income, that should help a bit.

Still don't fully understand while the councils weren't allowed to keep the cash in the first place (the knee-jerk answer, that Margaret Thatcher was Satan in a skirt suit, is one I have matured away from )

LeniGrad - You sound like a pragmatic idealist to me. Which is a good thing . Infact we could certainly do with a decent number of those in government next week, especially if we get a coalition!

"But surely one day it'll all collapse in a heap? What do we actually produce? Are we bringing in more revenue year on year?"

LeniGrad - you'll be voting Tory next

't's to do with the money from council house sales not being allowed to be spent on building new ones, isn't it?'

That's just one factor, though.

NIMBYism is another.

In a village near here, there are literally nothing but pensioners living there.

A housing association wanted to build 11 houses, not flats, but semi-detached housing for shared ownership (so the buyers, of course, would have to be in employment to get a mortgage).

The objection was overwhelming. It was 'social' housing and outright comments of we-don't-want-people-like-that-here.

There are quite a few houses for sale round there, too.

But they've been on the market a looonng time.

Because the owners probably own them outright, however, they can afford to let them sit.

t's to do with the money from council house sales not being allowed to be spent on building new ones, isn't it? i think thatcher introduced that,

the original deal for right-to-buy ringfenced the money for social housing spending..

the problem is all kinds of housing is n high demand, and getting planning permission is phenomenaly difficult.

the main cause = fewer peopl per house. this has meant de-population in areas where little housing is built (though it s not unusual to see a village fighting against closure of its school/pub/post office and at the same time opposing new developments of any kind)

I just don't see it collapsing because the government will always prop up the market: low interest rates, housing benefit for homeowners to keep them in their house, housing benefit for renters to pay huge rents, bailing out banks, etc.

'There should have been more balance kept in the system. Rent prices are shocking.'

Yes, but it's like low wages: the government enables businesses to pay low wages via the tax credit system.

Some say this is good because it allows employers to offer jobs, others say it's not so good because it keeps wages artificially low.

As long as it benefits shareholders, however, it will continue.

With housing/rents, there's housing benefit.

This keeps prices artificially high so the asset, on paper at least, retains its value.

So, nothing will change.

Why are politicians avoiding discussing housing? I'd say it in 3 words. Subprime Mortgage Crisis.

The US's big idea to let large numbers of first time buyers into the housing market. And here in the uk banks were encouraged to offer mortgages to people who could only just afford them. While interests rates were low all was well - but then interests rates increased....and then a whole can of nasty Goldman Sachs worms was opened.

What with the large number of 'moth balled' half built housing estates and the house building industry in virtual shut down in much of the UK - we have a right old mess.

But YANBU - and keep hassling your candidates!

'eventually we will see flavela-style ghettos being built as more and more people get pushed out of even the rental market (let alone the buying one).'

Those happen in places where there is no strong centralised government, in places where there is no housing benefit.

Not going to happen here.

What will happen is more and more young people leaving the country for good either to acquire skills they can't get here (apprenticeships or other vocational education or even university if prices start to get to where it's as cheaper or cheaper to go international) or to get a job that will afford them what they feel is a better quality of life.

Fewer people to support the boomers.