Council housing in the seventies

[rattymol]

In the seventies one third of people in Britain lived in a council house. Council houses were built because of the terrible way private landlords behaved and the poor standard of housing many people lived in. We are returning to those days
4.5 million households privately rent with 23% of that housing deemed not to meet the decent homes standard. We need council housing again.

There were a lot fewer homeless people when priority was based on time on the waiting list than on "need". People don't want to live next to people who have just been homeless, often the problems that led to them being homeless in the first place are still in evidence. So council housing becomes associated with derelicts and drug addicts and "normal" people don't want to live in it. Which leads us back to where we are today.

Florence just more ignorance. Lots of reasons for homelessness, many of them completely outside people's control. Labelling people who have been homeless "derelicts" and "addicts" and saying they're not "normal" shows the type of person you are: judgemental, predudiced and totally lacking in understanding. I expect the reason there was less homelessness before was because there were more council homes available that hadn't been sold off and private rents/mortgages weren't beyond an average person's ability to pay them. The length of time on the list (amongst other factors) is still taken into account today when allocating properties. All other things being equal, the person waiting longest gets the property.

Apologies florenz autocorrect changed your name

I grew up in council housing.

First a flat in Abbey Wood and then a house in Plumstead. It was good quality housing. My Mum was a single parent and council housing was affordable.

This was during the 70s and 80s. This housing just wouldn't be available to us now so god knows where we would have lived.

My Grandparents lived in their council house in Plumstead for 40 years.

Social housing in my area is based on both need and time spent on the housing list. When you apply for housing you are allocated a group based on your level of need (e.g., P which is priority, A which is next highest, then B, right down to D). It's choice based lettings so you register your interest against a maximum of three available properties each week before midnight each Sunday, the system will tell you where you are in terms of the queue for it. If two people with the same level of need apply then whichever has been on the housing list longest moves ahead of the other person. When the deadline passes the council looks checks that first in the queue meets the criteria for the property and, if they do, then it gets offered to them. They basically work their way down the queue until someone accepts it.

There are restrictions on a lot of the properties here. For example, my current property you had to have proven connections to the parish to be eligible (connections include living or working here for 3+ years, family living here, children at school here, etc). Some properties you need to have a vehicle as they're rural with no/poor bus links and no nearby amenities. For others additional priority is given to people working in specific industries/sectors relevant to the area. For bungalow priority is given to people over 60 and people with disabilities.

Availability of social housing varies by area too. There are properties here, particularly rural ones and ones in deprived areas, where you could have the keys same day without even bidding provided you meet the household size requirements and any restrictions on parish connections, etc because they're just empty. I know a few people who got their house that way. When we were offered the property we live in now we were only in Band B and we were only on the register for a couple of months but hadn't registered our interest against any properties yet as none were suitable. This was the first one we registered an interest in, first in the queue, got the keys a week later.

You’re right, it truly is disgusting.

I lived in London, in the 70's. I had my first daughter, and as we lived in a one bed private rental, the council gave us a lovely 3 bed maisonette within 3 months.

I lived there, I had a second child, and the council wrote saying that the policy was now to offer families, with young children, a property with a garden. They made sure there was no rent arrears, and that we had kept the place nice, and offered us a 3 bed house on a private road.

We stayed there 28 years, until we divorced, and I now live in a flat, in a nice area, with current DH.

My ex was rehoused in a smaller property.

The small block I live in is for over 40's, with no resident children.

It's a HA property, in conjunction with a private developer. Something built for the Millennium. The rents are higher than usual (but lower than a private rental would be), but it's got higher spec than usual.

We were credit checked and referenced before the offer, but it's a nice place, and I won't be moving again.

I found it easy in the 70's, but perhaps it depended on where you lived. Our borough were very good.

What a stupid, ignorant comment!!!!
I was on the housing list for 11 years following destitution after an abusive relationship.

I got awarded a brand new council house last January and finally, we have security and roots to put down. We've spent a lot of money on carpets, curtains and been doing loads of gardening and planting trees. We spent a small fortune on furniture. I'm in debt paying that off for about 3 more years.

You're telling me my family and I should be turfed out as punishment for "getting on my feet"??? What kind of crazy, cruel and unusual punishment is that?

Why should a family in a council house not be entitled to security and roots?

After everything I've been through? Why shouldn't I have the dignity of a bloody place to call home and grow old in?

I hate these stupid and cruel comments.

Furthermore, being forced to leave for no other reason than "getting on your feet" is the exact same as a no fault eviction, something I've had to deal with on no less than 4 bloody occasions with slum private landlords.

Back to slum landlords for you! Back into black mould, over priced slums. Don't decorate, don't use blue tak, don't put up pictures! Poor repairs for you op! Oh no kids, another no fault eviction for us! That is what we get for being poor/disabled/escaped DV. Thank goodness our overlords gave us that 2 years in a nice house, aren't they lovely!!!!!

I despise anyone who believes in evictions for people in social housing. Evict someone for non payment of rent or antisocial behaviour.

Not because they are happy.

Why should we harp on about the importance of forever homes for dogs and cats but not people?

Cruel.

Yes we need a lot more council homes so that people can have a safe and secure home for life if they want or need it

Priority should go to those most in need in terms of speed and type of home but it should be possible for anyone who asks to get a council home

It should be financially self supporting in- but not for profit

it should be possible for anyone who asks to get a council home

I wish it could go back to how it was when I was a kid and where I grew up.

Couples who we’re getting married would go to the council housing office and give them notice, similar to the actual marriage notice, so they could get a house or flat.

I remember going with my Aunt before her wedding and her and my Nana being excited when we went in to see what part of town she’d get and her hoping she got one on the route of the 36 bus rather than the 39 as it passed right by her work rather than needing a change.

@YetMoreNewBeginnings It could go back to that. The government just needs to decide to make it happen - with the way things are now the sort of investment needed is beyond individual councils. Unfortunately the current government won't, because they are opposed to the idea of the state helping us live better lives.

I agree. I am in social housing and pay £546 per month for my huge 3 bed house with a garden. It's a mixed estate so my literal next door neighbours are mortgage private owners, the one on the other side (all identical houses) is a private rental. Their rent is £1400 and it is identical to mine.

Having a SH property with security of tenancy and sensible rent has meant I could focus on my disabled child and bettering myself. I could afford to retrain and develop new skills and I re-enter the work force later this month in a well paid job that fits with my caring responsibilities.

Renting the identical private property at 3 times the rent would have meant we were just drowning every single month.

Affordable, secure housing helps massively.

I also won't be moving any time soon as my ability to work and care for a disabled child relies upon having a secure home.

Imo this needs changing

Yeah, the current lot aren’t interested in it. I’m still hoping for some improvement in the future.

Its not council, but two large HAs have had massive building projects locally over the last few years and it’s made a huge difference to the rental market.

I’ve also been approached by the council about them buying the adapted flat I let out. It’s the fourth time they’ve approached and it’s fallen through from their side every other time, but the chap involved says they’re very keen to get places this time and have funding.

I completely agree OP.
They need to not allow anymore right to buy too.

I know some older people in their 80s who were able to do this.

Some of them are now loaded as they did well careerwise but when they were starting out they need a step up from their local councils.

Another thing councils did was give people mortgages. My mum had a mortgage from our local council rather than a building society, and since then I found out that other people did.

@YetMoreNewBeginnings should make clear our home wasn't a council home. The council was just the mortgage provider.

One of my friends, back in the 80s, lived with her family in Plumstead

It was a council house but not on an estate (Tuscan Road it was). Nice little terrace house in a row of them. Old style house with two floors.

Disgusting

They done the same at the old Ferrier Estate . Demolished them, more homes now for those who are not social housing tenants and less for actual social housing tenants now though.

Oh and they gave it a new name in the hopes to gentrify more of SE London. Kidbrooke Village!

Well Said and enjoy your new home and putting down roots.

11 years wait is disgraceful but not unusual either
Friends daughter waited 10 for hers and was housed about 3 years ago now.

I do agree that money from the sales of homes should have gone back into social housing. But I don't understand how it could work long term. The first ones to be sold would have been built ages ago and so money generated was all profit. Then you go on to use that money to build new homes but the people who get them are allowed to buy them at a discount. The new homes would have cost more money to build. Would the cost even be covered by somebody buying at a discount. Then yet more new homes need to be built and again they can be bought at a discount. Surely the amount coming in gets less and less and not enough to cover building the replacement homes.

The way it could work long term is just stop right to buy.

This exactly!