Honestly, do you judge people who live in council estates?

[Dotcheck]

So, I live in my own home on a council estate. I’m well educated, and have always worked in a job which requires a degree + a post graduate qualification, but is poorly paid.
I’m grateful I own my own home. I’m divorced, never remarried so moving hasn’t been an option.
After my divorce, I bought my ex husband out, but qualified for a mortgage by the skin of my teeth. I believe I’m really lucky- many people can’t afford to buy their own home, and in many places in the world, people live in awful conditions.
However, I recently changed jobs and I’m now in a place which has more ‘middle class’ people. I hate those sorts of designations but there we are.
I’ve heard so many people make off handed comments about council estates and the people who live there. Although I do feel grateful to have my own home, I’m heartbroken/ furious that my children may be judged for where they come from.
So- do you judge? Or have you had those experiences?

The only people who judge others by such inane nonsense are absolute wankers and not worth giving a second thought to. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Growing up, all my school mates lived in the council estate across from the school. They had much nicer houses than ours as they didn’t have an alcoholic parent. I’d have happily swapped houses with any of them.

People who judge are just morons.

No and I don't know anyone who does.

This.
It seems on mn that council estates are some kind of cheap magical place to live, full of community and good old fashioned family values, full of salt of the earth type characters.
The estate in my town is so bad even the police avoid it at all costs (exacerbating the problem no doubt). It certainly isn't somewhere you would choose to live if you have other options as a decent person.
On the estate in my town most people are related to just four/five families either by birth or marriage and if I was to buy one of the homes there I wouldn't last long....they make sure it isn't comfortable for anyone from the 'outside'.
I would really love to know where all of these amazing estates are, any in the towns remotely local to me are no go areas.

Well done! You should be very proud and don't let others who don't understand the real world put you down.

I don't judge council houses. I was lucky enough to grow up in one and had a lot of judgement as a child from the owned houses opposite. I would never put anyone on a negative end of that. I do judge people when they are cunts tho.

Most people judge yes. I do too because I live in a large estate and am very aware of the sorts of people that live in mine. Not everyone, but a lot of people are fairly sketchy on our estate. Lots of anti social behaviour too.

No I don't judge people who live on council estates.
I was born in a large Victorian house in one of the more affluent areas of our town but when my parents got divorced, Mum and I ended up living on a so-called "rough estate" for most of my life and I can honestly say we never had any trouble, the neighbours all looked out for each other and it was a happy place to live aside from the prejudice I often faced from parents of some of my schoolfriends who didn't want me being friends with their children because I was "from a council estate".
My mother-in-law despised me and tried to stop my husband from seeing me and then tried to force him to force me to have an abortion when I became pregnant with our first baby - all because, in her words, I was "council estate scum". (Giving my husband credit, he gave her a lot of home truths after she tried to force him to make me have an abortion and instead told her that she could forget seeing the baby when she was born).
Now I own my own house with my husband and we live in an area where people like to think they're above everyone and I would honestly move back to a council estate - when we were thinking of selling this house, we actually looked at houses on the estate where I grew up.

There are certain estates in my town with awful reputations and as it happens they are all social housing. The catchment school also has a terrible reputation for the children who go there. I mean it could be coincidence but they are the estates I would never consider moving to. So I guess I would judge in that case.

It's a stupid position for people to take. Me and DH bought our ex council house 13 yrs ago for £83k, we're surrounded by council houses and our area is officially classed as 'deprived'. I love it. Our mortgage is nearly cleared and is low anyway, DDs school is fantastic, we're within walking distance of loads of amenities, the neighbours are all nice.

In the last 13 yrs our income has vastly increased, we could if we wanted sell our house for a lot more than we paid and get a huge mortgage for a similarly sized house in a 'nice' area. It would be no more convenient, the schools wouldn't be better, the house wouldn't be bigger, the neighbours wouldn't necessarily be nice.

Or we stay out, where we are happy, we have disposable income and can afford to extend or amend the house, can put money away for retirement and DD for Uni or a house, can go on holidays and not feel crippled by the cost of living.

What is there to judge?

I live in London. Micro-areas mean that often a conservation area of £million+ terrace houses are right up against high density social housing. Dulwich village has a row of council houses (probably owned now).

As for the EA quoted above worried about children living in LA housing might be at hhd same school: FFS. Countless excellent sought after schools here have a catchment that encompasses the full range of housing types.

Nothing to do with owning the property!
I’d be a bit judgmental of anyone who didn’t maintain their home to the best of their ability or who was being an anti- social arse.
I don’t think I’m superior to anyone in social housing. Some of the friends whom I respect the most are people who live in social housing. Their lives have often been more challenging and I have huge appreciation for how they’ve handled it.
Everyone judges something. Could be name, job, clothes, parenting choices or having a badly behaved dog….. no one is above it!

Most people will judge, yes.
Most, really? Some, through ignorance or twattery yes, but I can’t see most people caring where other people live tbh.

I couldn’t name the council estates where I live now as they’re not as easily defined and they’re just people living in houses anyway.

Grew up on a council estate and even though we lived over the road from a park that was often frequented by the local nobbers there was never any bother, never been broken into in that house, neighbours look out for each other. What’s to judge?

My friend has way more community spirit in her ‘social housing’ area than we do in our expensive MC owner occupied part of the same town (from where she was turfed out by her dick of an estranged H). She used to see nobody but her difficult kids from one day to the next, whereas now there’s always friends to see and meetings of the disability group she’s part of, and she has a much nicer partner.

Expensive MC areas where people are so busy working that they’re never around are like ghost towns during the day.

Yes, most. You don’t need to care to make a judgement. Everyone makes judgements, all the time, about everything.

Council estate gives a certain impression. There’s no getting away from that.

No. And truthfully I don't understand how council housing "works". I don't know who gets one and why, and how long you can keep them for. I know some people own ex council houses, so I don't see how that's any different to a "normal" home owner? But I tend to judge someone on whether they're nice and decent not where they live anyway.

If it's privately owned then no.
We probably couldn't afford to buy a council house as they are solid built with big rooms so are expensive.

I think when people are negative about council estates they are really referring to social housing rather than ex council.

There are very few council estates now

@BrimfulOfMash I know someone who recently got a council house in Dulwich Village.

I'm from a town in the North West and honestly I'd never consider living on a council estate here unless it was a last resort as they are awful up here. I'm pleased for the people who have experienced nice council estates, but it's rough and dirty round here. I wouldn't judge someone if they had no other option, but honestly wouldn't choose any of the estates I know. Also none have these massive gardens everyone is talking about. Good sense of community maybe, if you enjoy all your neighbours sitting on garden chairs in the middle of the roads blocking the chairs, topless, throwing beer cans all over the road in the summer... Love the North.

I am actually curious how people know whether an "estate" is council or not. Most purpose built ones the houses have been bought (under right to buy originally) so the estate is mostly privately owned now.
I live in a "council" block. Except I don't. Built as council homes and the council are the leaseholders and maintain the building but out of 30 or so flats only about 6 are still council ones. All the others privately owned and we rent one of those.
To a casual outsider they might think or say it's a "council block". But it isn't really.
So how can people judge? They don't know if someone living in one of the flats owns it, rents it privately or is a council tennant.

Yep, North West here too.....its grim isn't it!

Might be nicer down south.

The dodgy UK estates depicted on television/films make me shiver.
I feel very sad for elderly and vulnerable people Iving in those places.

It probably is nicer down south! It tends to be where the money is...

I didn’t but can’t help being a bit judgy now I’ve lived on one for 7 years and it’s a complete nightmare! I still got a lot of house for the money though