High joint income and in social housing with no plans to buy. Celebrate or selfish?

[SocialHousedNHappy]

I’ve been wondering about for some time and completely understand the dire and desperate situation that many people and families find themselves in. But… I hate the way that social housing is seen as only for the most desperate, when it was introduced as a housing option for all.

My household brings in a healthy income and we pay less than 10% to our monthly rent. This means we get enjoy a modest lifestyle and put some money aside for adult DC for when they’re older - they can then choose to buy whatever they fancy, car, house deposit, uni, whatever as will be their choice.

I hate that people seem to think that I should give up my secure tenancy and move into private rent. Looking on rightmove, a comparable house would be around 3x what I’m currently paying in rent, and to be honest, I wouldn’t move to private rented ever again. But why do people react as thought I’m doing something wrong, in the same way as they think of benefit cheats? I think the govt should be put under pressure to build more social housing - proper social housing, rather than the current situation where people are pit against each other and blaming each other for what is clearly a government failing.

I don’t want to sound like I’m gloating, because I’m not, but I don’t see why I should feel bad and not celebrate the life and comfort that my social housing has allowed me to enjoy.

I’m genuinely interested to hear if anyone agrees and feels the same.

Hang on so your mum IS bidding on FLATS so wtf???????????????

You can't predict the future, you are quite rightly protecting yourself by staying in social housing - you have a secure tenancy, so unlikely you'd have to move.

Imagine paying 3x the amount and then the landlord wanting to sell a year in, and then not actually being able to afford the rent when you retire!

You'll get jealous responses, people think you should suffer high rent like them. But you'd only be lining a landlords pocket, how is that any better.

In some areas local councils are doing well at building more social housing properties, and it wouldn't be good for these areas to have everyone moving every few years once their situation has improved slightly.

Sorry. No. Tax payers like me should not be subsidising your rent so you can set aside money we don’t have. You don’t take if you don’t need. And saving for the future as you’re describing is not a need. Families who need that house should have it. You do not.

I disagree. I was fortunate to obtain social housing many years ago. As my circumstances changed I saved until I had a deposit. I surrendered my rental property and bought a property. So some people do only want to receive a hand up when in need and move on as soon as they are able

How did you manage this? High earners in social housing

I know people in social housing who purchased a house in Spain. I cannot see that as morally right.

I agree with others that where demand outstrips supply it doesn’t sit well with me that someone who can afford not to live in social housing has just decided to. We live in a situation where women who are terrified of their partners have nowhere to go, people are unable to afford their mortgage payments and families are ending up in one room.

If everyone stopped taking what they didn’t need from society there’d be more to go round to the people who need it most. Of course in an ideal world there should be free prescriptions, proper healthcare and education, endless supplies of quality social housing, legal aid for all etc etc but we are in a period of economic recession and a cost of living crisis. This is all exacerbated by people taking what they don’t need. It’s wrong and speaks to a wider issue with people not taking any responsibility for anything any more.

@JenniferBooth no, of course my mum wouldn't want or get OP's house. You're deliberately missing my point, which is that people like OP, who could afford to rent privately or buy, are blocking people on low incomes from the social housing they desperately need. I'm sorry about your DH's situation.

Well it's a bit sickening that some of us scrimped and saved for a house deposit and are now having to tighten our belts as mortgage rates have risen while still paying tax towards subsidising the housing of people like you who are more well off than ourselves. However, I can't blame you personally for taking advantage of a bad system.

Who qualifies for social housing UK?
Check your council's website on GOV.UK to find out how it works in your area. You'll probably need to: be on a low income or not have a large amount of savings. have lived in the area for a number of years, or have a job or family there - this is called a 'local connection'7 Oct 2023. Taken this off their website.

I agree.

I’m in a housing association flat. I’ve always worked and whilst for many years I struggled financially, I am now finally on a decent salary and in a slightly more comfortable position. Been in my flat for almost 27 years since I was 19.

There’s no way I would give up my secure roof over my head to move into an expensive, unsecured private rental property. For starters, that would cost me a lot more and put huge financial pressure on me again. I couldn’t afford to rent privately with the current prices! Why would I put myself in a position where I’m financially worse off? In addition to having the worrying possibility of one day being asked to move out and losing my home if the landlord wants you out. Not to mention the lack of flexibility in being able to decorate your home the way you want to.

We were given these properties at a time when we needed them. And we still need them. Apart from which I’m in a 1 bed flat. I’m not using a home that would be suitable for a family anyway. So my property isn’t one of the ones in most demand.

The fault lies with the governments for not building the housing stock. Not us for living in the housing they provided us with.

For a start if you dont want people questioning your choices, then keep your counsel and dont discuss such details with them !

Secondly having a "life tenancy" is hardly cause for celebration. Ive owned since I was 18 through very very hard work. Now I own a few with loads of equity - to me thats cause for celebration - not having no assets and cheap rent.

Likely wasn’t a high earner when they got the social housing.

I was earning £6k a year when I was given my HA flat 27 years ago. My rent at the time was £200 a month and my salary was £400 a month. And I was earning lower wages for many years after that

I now have progressed in my career and therefore earn more so can live a little more comfortably. I’m not well off however and certainly couldn’t afford to rent privately with today’s rental prices. If I lost my HA flat I don’t know what I’d do.

In my area, the only requirement to register for social housing is to be over 18, have the right to reside in the UK, and be able to afford the property you are bidding on.

You can be a millionaire and still be eligible for social housing.

I’d agree.

I would LOVE to own my own home, but I was never able to afford one and my credit rating was tarnished so that made it even harder.

To be 46 years old and still renting a one bed housing association flat, isn’t something I’m celebrating.

Yes, I feel very fortunate to have been given the property in the first place, but it’s not exactly my dream home!

"If everyone stopped taking what they didn’t need from society there’d be more to go round to the people who need it most."

Hmm. Does this include people who can't be bothered to use contraception or to hold out for decent partners rather than mating with every rag, tag and bobtail that casts a glance in their direction, with no thought to whether or not they can afford to rear the resulting offspring???

Rightly or wrongly, I’ve always thought/believed social housing was intended for those who couldn’t (for whatever reason) reach an income that would afford them the choice of purchasing their own property. I say that as someone raised in a council house in the (once) notorious Blackbird Leys estate in Oxford.

Surely anyone now earning enough to buy their own property should do so thus releasing properties back to those in need.

It’s an interesting ‘argument’ to have I suppose, but if I am totally, totally honest, if I was fortunate enough to live in social housing, with a guaranteed lifetime tenancy, lower than market rate rent (and it always is, regardless of what you read in here), and never having to pay out (on top of the lower rent) for new boilers, windows, kitchens, bathrooms, I would be staying put and counting my blessings.

Yep Its all wine and roses. 🙄

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4922126-to-think-a-three-day-call-is-not-an-appointment

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/thirty_days_only/4952626-social-housing-subcontactors-damaged-floor?reply=131087809

This 👍

berksandbeyond

“You would entitled to join the list but in most areas you’d be waiting a very long time. The reason that people are waiting years and are in B&Bs with their children, are because people like OP abuse a system. A bit like benefits generally, social housing should be a hand up not a hand out, and the expectation to ‘block’ a social tenancy / council house for life, even when you don’t need it anymore, is selfish to the core. I hope they introduce means testing 🤞🏻”

this👆

Once you're in that council home with a lifetime tenancy you could win the lottery and they can't kick you out. The OP clearly says she was eligible when she got the property but her partner had moved in since then and her job has improved meaning she wouldn't qualify now. THAT'S what needs to change, if you no longer qualify, you shouldn't be allowed to stay

@berksandbeyond I'm pretty sure that property will have been more than paid for. Now it's paying for maintenance for itself and other properties.

@Tessabelle74 oh believe me if we won the lottery we would be outta here

I suppose this is the question.

If a social house is built, and rent is paid at the social rent, how long will it take for the cost of building the house and maintaining it to be paid off?

If it takes a long long time, then effectively a council is not recovering its expenditure in a decent amount of time so a loss is being made - or the rent could be seen as being subsidised by the council/

But if the property is not modern, then the actual cost of building it could well have been paid off, so any money coming is now profit.

If I buy a house to let now, and keep it for long enough for the mortgage to be paid off, I could probably afford to charge a lower rent once it had been paid off- and I wouldn't be subsidising anyone.

Can someone explain how a social housing company, that must invest in building social housing, can make a profit if it is charging much lower rents compared to regular BTL Landlords?

@browneyes77 Unfortunately in many areas single person accommodation is in most demand. People needing 1 bed properties make up 50% of the waiting lists for social housing.

This isn't a comment on your circumstances but that is the reality.

Ok let’s use the word “discounted” rather than subsidised.