Why do people look down on council houses

[Easystuff]

Just that really why do others look down on council/social houses. I don't understand. There's no special treatment. It's not unusual, it's been about for many years. It's now pretty hard to get social housing. There are thousands of family waiting lists, being made homeless. Through no fault of their own. It's pretty awful out there.

@oioicheeky yes you did. You assumed council tenants don't pay rent

But in years/decades time you will own a house and your NDNs won't.

??
Think you've tagged the wrong person @Barbiesback

Thank you @RedRedlarge. I'm sure you will also be pleased to know I happily remarried. My 2nd husband passed away unexpectedly 5 years ago.

Please don't be sorry for me. I am one of the few who met an amazing man who also was and is the Dad he didn't have to be to my 4.

Our home was and is still is a place of love and safety not just for my adult children and grandchildren. For others, too.

I do a lot to help others who have been through similar. Some of those have stayed in our home to whilst we get them sorted.

There always had to be a purpose to what we went through

@oioicheeky sorry I didn't mean you. It was meant for @Oliotya

I think that depends on your social circle. If you struggle to afford rent or mortgage then jealousy will be a thing, if you don’t you won’t. Social housing is by definition for those who initially couldn’t afford ro house themselves, that’s not a position to be envious of.

Private rents are a step down from SH. Why would anyone willingly do that to themselves?

People like to hide behind their good will that SH should be for those 'in need'. Everyone is 'in need' of a secure home with affordable rent and would snap the hand off any council who offered them one, that got them away from landlords who charge the earth for their little nest egg. Especially those who won't even let you paint a wall or put a picture up and can hoof you out when they feel like it.

It's the private sector who needs a spotlight on it.

I agree. I never understand when people say that . No one made people buy a house that was a choice. Abd most know the pros and cons of buying

Could be a generational thing. I grew up on a council estate as did many of my age (fifties). In the days before right to buy council estates were pretty mixed in who lived there, there were very few unemployed people/rough families. When right to buy came in the houses on the "better" estates were snapped up, you could always tell who had bought their house because the first thing that changed was the front door. The council estates that are left tend to be "rougher" and have more antisocial behaviour. I live in an ex council house, all of the houses, bar 2, have been bought and is now considered to be a desirable area to live.

Again. Not what I said.

@gamerchick the harsh reality is people will of been in need in order to get a social house nowadays. It's not like 30 years ago. I think some of you need to remember there's definitely a generational link and people who often live in social housing were raised in one by their own parents. I don't really see that's anything to envy as such .. it's not a race to the bottom.

Because people resent some getting things for cheaper than they can - especially if taxpayer subsidised.

I agree except that social housing isn't by definition for those who can't afford to house themselves. It was intended to be for a large proportion of the population and is a more ethical way of ensuring we, as a society, have housing. People who borrow large sums of money from banks to house themselves or who have to pay larger sums to provide a spare income for private landlords aren't able to afford to house themselves either.

"But it's clear that lots of the council rent must be paid for almost entirely by UC"

@Oliotya 🤣🤣

It isn't taxpayer subsidised though. It's the opposite: council rents are subsidising you.

Council tenants actually subsidise the rest of us by paying rents that go directly towards public spending through the council and to the treasury.

People always come out with the subsidised shit. Nobody can say how that is like.

Once upon a time I bought an ex-council house. I loved it so much, it was tiny and cute, the entire row of terraced houses were privately owned. Some of the happiest times of my life. I managed to make a killing on it, and it enabled me to buy a bigger house in a "nice" area.. which again, thanks to the housing markets, let me live in a very desirable "middle class" area

My neighbours on both sides are doctors, one is a surgeon (he's a raging alcoholic and a little bit terrifying, but anyway)

Where I live now, sometimes you can hear the residents talking about the estate I used to live in. It makes me really sad

My medical practice, post office and library are all in the estate.

The problem is - in NI, the Housing Executive deals with issues by moving troublesome people out of towns and into different ones, in the hope that it'll be a fresh start for those people. It never works. They find trouble wherever they go, and the villages lose their identity due to so many "strangers" which, in turn, increases hostility. Seemingly, these poorly behaved strangers are given the new builds and best choices

It isnt

I live in a council house and have done for years,when we applied we were being kicked out of a private rental due to it being sold. Nobody from the council asked us our income,
H has always worked,I don’t anymore. We pay full rent and council tax always have done.We pay £360 a month in rent.
most of my neighbours have bought their houses,the street is ok and clean,no sofas in gardens or police chases.

Oh, sure. PIP and DLA are SO easy to get.

Not sure if I should say this or not. My thinking is if I'm in private rent my rent 1800 a month. Paid with housing benefits . That gos to the landlord. Of course I should not be there for free. But in a round about way benefits are paying the landlords mortgage there for buy his house.

At least in social housing the rent gos back into the system

Exactly. Council rents are a bit cheaper because tenants aren't having to line the pockets of private landlords who expect to make vast profits (lots of the "high earning" mumsnetters with BTL portfolios fall into this category). Apparently that is a bad thing.

People wanging on about housing benefit paying the rent of council tenants. What about the housing benefit that is going into the pockets of private landlords? Would you all prefer there was no HB at all, and people lived on the streets?

Not all homeowners have mortgages.

Where do you live if rent for a house is just £360 a month?

I know a few people in Cornwall who pay around £360-400 a month for a semi, 3 bed council house.

Whereas private rent is about £1300 for equivalent in the same area.