Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Politics
Original poster

Housing

59 replies

mintyfresh · 27/04/2010 20:59

AIBU to wonder why this huge crisis isn't being addressed by any political party before the election?

I was completely fobbed off when I raised housing as my most major issue with the local Tory candidate on my doorstep today. He couldn't have been less interested

The enormous waiting lists for social and council housing, overcrowding, young people/families forced into renting long term because of high house prices, breakdown of community because of multi-occupancy properties. These are all major issues for the UK and I have seen no real policies to address them.

The only interest politicians have is in whether they have made enough money on their second homes!!

OP posts:
ninedragons · 29/04/2010 13:15

I couldn't agree more.

But it won't change. You think there is a hole in the pension funds now - if property prices dropped 40% there would be an AWFUL lot of Baby Boomers depending on their BTL who suddenly had no private means of support at all for their old age.

It's now economically impossible to allow a house price crash. Tony and Gordon completely fucked one generation over to fund the retirement of another.

salizchap · 29/04/2010 13:02

Things will have to change, when more and more working families are unable to afford even to rent a small place, 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).

This will cause more unrest as the authorities try to remove people's unauthorised homes. But it won't work because people have to live somewhere.

expatinscotland · 28/04/2010 23:11

things will never change in this country re: housing.

never.

i'm under no illusions my children will stay in the UK once they leave school, if they even last that long.

TheHeathenOfSuburbia · 28/04/2010 22:56

Kevlarhead- I am right in the middle of reading The Pinch by David Willetts, about just that, it is very good - in fact I might go mad and say it's the best book I've ever read written by a Tory

Kevlarhead · 28/04/2010 20:57

The Baby Boom generation have lots of votes, lots of houses, and most of the housing equity. No politician would suggest that house prices might need to fall, or that the average lone first time buyer only being able to afford a starter home at the age of 37 is a bad thing.

They might as well resign straight away and save themselves the grief.

TheHeathenOfSuburbia · 28/04/2010 13:19

It'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, but I'm not sure anyone has repealed it - and if not, why not. There doesn't seem to be any justification for it.

I know Labour introduced that law about councils being able to take over properties left empty for ages, but I'm not sure it's made much of a difference, has it? Maybe there's something getting in the way, the legal costs too expensive perhaps, or the council thinks it'll be unpopular with voters.

Original poster
mintyfresh · 28/04/2010 12:54

That is also my feeling salizchap and heathenofsurburbia. But it is so short sighted - apparently the BNP are gaining in popularity in areas where council housing waiting lists are at their highest. Many would blame it on immigration but it is sheer fact of years of underinvestment in social housing and allowing a property boom to happen.

It is a storm waiting to happen as the number of 'have nots' gets bigger, so why do none of the parties address the crisis?

At the end of the day, more young people owning their own homes is a GOOD thing for society. Like you say salizchap - how can overcrowding like that be good for families?

OP posts:
salizchap · 27/04/2010 23:31

Basically, I agree with the health of suberbia. Those that have bought a house want to see the value of that house increase. If we start building more homes, values will start to stabilise and even reduce.

It makes me really angry, but that is the way it is. I am one of the lucky ones, I was made homeless after my ex left me with our 2 year old son. (the only good thing he did for us, though I didn't see it that way at the time) I was rehoused, and now live in a housing association flat. But my neighbours next door have 3 children, a girl of about 11, a boy of 9, another baby girl who all have to share one bedroom in a two bed flat with their parents. And others I know have been on the waiting list for over 10 years and are still no where near the top.

Private rents are extortionate, and the possibility of a mortgage is as remote as a major lottery win.

I am afraid this situation will only change when a larger proportion of society is suffering the indignity of inadequate and over-priced accomodation. Numbers count. There just aren't enough of the have nots to make that haves sit up and listen.

TheHeathenOfSuburbia · 27/04/2010 21:27

Maybe the parties are a bit torn on this one, trying not to upset anyone in election year?

Policies tending to bring down house prices will not go down well with Middle England.
Policies that might inflate house prices will not go down well with first-time-buyers etc.
(And I guess the Middle-England types are more likely to vote)

Plus there's the NIMBY factor of no-one wanting new houses built next to them - do you remember the furore about those eco-towns that were proposed a few years ago? Are any of those actually going to go through in the end?