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.

There are not enough houses for this wastage to occur. Social housing should not be about what people feel like doing. It is a jointly owned resource and should benefit the tax payer first and foremost.

OP, you are living in a social housing property you no longer need. But you don’t want to address that and the tax / parasite issue.

Well said OP!!

People are effing delusional about how social housing works, how it is funded, who is eligible, and the history of it and yet they will come here spouting hate and prejudice and worrying about their 'tax dollars' (pernicious american thinking sneaking in) which are precisely fkn zero.

If people want to worry about where their taxes are going, I suggest they start scrutinising what percentages of taxes go to what sectors of UK operations - how much is spent on maintaining the royal family, how much is spent on maintaining nuclear armaments and buying warheads and going to war, how much is spent on the army and the civil service and MPs and the house of commons and all the pomp and circumstance, how much is spent on space exploration and fracking and deep sea oil and gas seam searches and wind farms and subsidies and grants to farming and agriculture cos actually making meat doesn't make sense and battery farming chickens is a horror that doesn't pay and air sea rescue of grown adults from mountain hikes and absolute peak the wastefulness within the NHS which is about to collapse and has apparently 126 layers of management and is the biggest scam of all tax payers money currently in existence. Rant over.

Enjoy your home, you're entitled to it same as I'm entitled to mine. People should fight for decent housing instead of wanting to attack social housing tenants - after all isn't what we have what you're aiming for?? How does it make sense to malign us?

She's living in it. Ergo she needs it. If she was leaving it sitting empty to live elsewhere then she arguably wouldn't need it.

What you mean is, I assume, that you have a distorted and punitive idea that because she's not in a desperate situation she should be punished for having an affordable roof over her head? What a sick person you are. Do you know how many people live in social housing? Millions and millions of people and many are earning good money and doing well. That's the very best point of housing people.

I meant what I typed - not sure why that simple statement is difficult to comprehend, really.

Yes we know. We’re paying it! (Well, for me, it’s a mortgage). But the point remains, we are paying for the housing we need, and leaving social housing for those who need it. You do not need it. You can take from food banks too, if you want, no one will stop you. Would you stoop to that low? Or is it just housing you want to deny the needy of?

Your taxes are not paying for social housing.

A big part of home ownership for me is knowing I can hopefully use it to pay for my old people's home. Whilst I respect your choice, I don't think it's fair that you never save a penny, never pay into a mortgage but expect the state to pay for your old age in its entirety. To me, that is morally questionable, and just not affordable for our country.
I care about the next generation of children. They will be burdened with so many old people in the country when they reach working ages, a massively disproportionate amount of money will fund people's care like you, who should have saved.
If you are in a position to buy/save I think you should.
You are in a position now to move into private rental so that someone who is potentially CURRENTLY in the same position you were in years ago gets the help you so badly needed. Yes you don't have to, but I do think I'm you are being selfish to deny others the help you yourself were given.
Obviously the bigger picture is that there need to be more houses and the system is broken, but that doesn't mean you can pretend you aren't being selfish.

This with cherries on top!

I think your update is one of the most selfish posts I’ve ever read

Attitudes like this is why i knew the "all in this together" nonsense during Covid was utter bullshit. I knew it would be back to the default setting when it was over and.......................well here we are.

She's not denying anyone the help she was given.

Why don't you use your savings to go pay rent for a homeless family's house? If you don't, then you're denying a homeless family the help that you could give them.

Why don't you give all your wages to the local foodbank? If you don't then you're denying people in need food.

What are we in together? Honestly? This country does not run like that. We do not have a council house for everyone. I am actually quite left wing, but I live in reality. We do nit have enough houses. Children live in hostels. It is unacceptable to waste housing like this.

Social housing should be available for life for those who don’t want to buy or rent privately
Social housing tenants shouldn’t be subject to financial reassessment and evicted if earn ‘too much’

Why ? explain why on both points above because I definitely don’t agree on either statement

Why is OP more responsible for those children than the childs OWN PARENTS. Particularly the absent father in some cases. There was a recent ITV news report where Daniel Hewitt did a report on a young single mum in temp accomodation One of the places she was offered she had to turn down Why? Because her EX THE CHILDS FATHER who she was no longer with vetoed it because it was too far away. Why is it ok for an absent parent to control their ex to the extent that they are keeping them homeless/in temp accomodation yet at the same time not providing accomodation for HIS child. Now THIS is selfishness, If you cant or wont provide for your child you should not get to dictate their life to the point of keeping them and their mother homeless. Insanity.

OK, using your examples. She has effectively used a food bank when in need, but now is still getting daily free food and by doing so stops a person who is actually starving even though she can now afford to eat. This is selfish.
Your example of paying rent for a homeless family is highly ironic. I pay tax. This money goes towards, amongst other things, social housing. What I don't do is sit in a house that could be used by a homeless family. That would be selfish.

And yes, I do give money to charities, and I volunteer in my local community, and I pay my taxes And I always donate food to the food bank during my weekly shop.
And I bring in breakfasts that I have paid for for my pupils who I know can't afford breakfast at home. Because I am NOT selfish.

I have pointed out that I will spend my savings funding my own care in old age. Thus saving the taxpayer, say, £500,000. Or I will die first and the tax man will get 40% of it.

It is absolutely unacceptable to waste housing.

I was a homeless child on the streets in my early teens, the eldest of several siblings. Social housing is something I'm passionate about. The fact of the matter is the OP is living perfectly legitimately like millions of other people who are also on a good wage in social housing that she was and still is absolutely entitled to.

I have written on previous posts what the real issues are but as per MN vicious spiteful side of some posters, people prefer to try and tear one person down with their hate rather than get real. It's a pattern on MN with any subject and it's actually quite scary for me, it triggers my autism issue and makes me frightened to be in the world knowing there's such hate and venom.

The real issues are a) selling off of council homes and HA properties must be blanket banned IMO - especially when those sales are at laughable low prices and on huge reductions, in a scam deliberately designed to remove homes from the social housing stock and the money absolutely does not go back into social housing; b) so called 'gentrification' of vast areas including huge council estates that are perfectly safe, viable, and livable, making social housing tenants homeless and rebuilding high end luxury apartments; c) local authorities 'gentrifying' everywhere and not enforcing social housing components; d) gentrified developments sitting way over 50% empty (averagely 70% empty) at all times; e) developments being sold to overseas investors who are often dodgy as heck and money laundering or unethical capital and not even stepping foot in the country or living in the flat or renting it out; f) some towns and cities having huge swathes of 'abandoned' areas where there are miles and miles of empty houses and boarded up homes - reference the documentary £1 council houses in Liverpool for that type of info; g) social housing tenants chronically under-occupying - frankly the very least of the issue but they should be moved to homes the size they need instead of having empty rooms; I could say more but that's enough to get along with...

@LittleMissSunshiner The reason people want social housing tenants moved around like chess pieces rather than more social housing built is because if the latter happened it would affect the value of their own homes. Right wing wolves in left wing cloaks!

Your taxes do NOT pay for social housing. You're not able to hear that being said. It's the point you need to digest most.

This principle only applies in a utopia where our government is rich enough to provide houses for every citizen.
That is not our current system. I can see the argument for it, but, given that this is NOT our current system, I don't think it is particularly relevant.
I think it is more helpful to look at reality, which is that demand outstretches supply. Therefore houses should go to those in greatest need. It blows my mind that the original poster would deny someone the same help she herself received. I wonder if she would have felt the same way however many years ago when she was still on the waiting list...

Well i dont. You must have missed my post where i said DH and i really need a bungalow but i dont begrudge the people already in them.

With respect, on the previous page a poster debunked the myth you are pedalling that taxes don't pay for social housing.
They do.
E.g. maintenance.
I will find it and re-post for you to read again.

This one, from the previous page. Please read it.

@wafflingworrier Is this the kind of maintenance you mean. Incredibly poor and a risk to health. Considering tax payers are paying for it why arent y"all kicking off about it. Its well known how bad some of the maintenance is. Grenfell cant have passed you by surely.

https://x.com/Kwajotweneboa/status/1732089520005263831?s=20

Erm....OK? Clearly this was bad maintenance. But paid for by taxes...which was my point? Good or bad maintenence is a separate issue to whether or not social housing is paid for by taxes.
I'm off to bed but it has been interesting reading and hearing different points of view. Let's agree to disagree and keep Grenfell out of this out of respect for the people who died.

@wafflingworrier its the Grenfell survivors themselves who have said a massive part of the problem is the attitude towards social housing tenants
And well you know it. Thats why you have reacted the way you have.