Social Housing

[Puffinfoot]

Is there an affordable way to finance proper "council" housing to make sure everyone who needs it has access to decent housing at a sensible rent?

Is there a way to involve business, or would that be a terrible idea? Should councils be able to borrow whatever they needed to lake it happen? Where from? Should central government manage it, given the state of some of our councils?

There's lots of talk about the 2 child benefit cap and bringing children out of poverty, but it seems to me that providing families with good housing they can afford would have a greater benefit. Many benefit claimants are working, if rents were cheaper, and paid to the state (maybe?) there'd be a reduction in the overall benefits bill.

Even if you can afford the rent, private renting is a stressful way to live, with insecure tenancies and the private rental market with its extortionate rents increases the need for benefits.

IMO Right to Buy is a wicked thing. I understand all the arguments in favour, but the result round here has been that all the old council estates are now in the hands of private landlords, falling into disrepair, with much of the extortionate rent being paid by the taxpayer in the form of benefits, and people living in them who would previously have occupied them as council tenants.

Is it possible councils could/should by back those homes over time?

Does anyone have a solution? Is there one?

It’s not just the cost of building the accommodation but managing it, councils then need to employ housing officers, rent officers, maintenance staff etc. I worked for an LA within social housing and it was soul destroying. Anti social behaviour, rent arrears of 10k, people damaging the property, growing drugs in the property etc.
of course this the minority but they take up so much time and resources I can see why councils aren’t pushing to hold more housing stock.

Yes, I know there's a huge cost, that's why I asked about possible ways to fund it.

If renting out property is more trouble than it's worth, why are private landlords so keen to do it?. There must be a way to make it work.

It’s also not just the building of the houses it’s the maintaining. I am lucky enough to have a HA property there is no such thing as council houses anymore they’re all housing associations. They are building them but are not maintaining their older properties such as mine, the kitchen is falling to bits, the bathroom is just as old and the rough casting is falling off in chunks but there is no money for upgrading their existing stock they say. It doesn’t help that a minority of tenants do not look after their properties so I can see why they may be reluctant

Of course local councils can build and manage large numbers of council houses. This was done for decades until the 80s when there began to be sold off.

To make it work, we need to the government to raise money to allow councils to build. And to remove the right to buy, or at least remove the right to buy at a massive discount. That way councils can reinvest money from sold council houses into new housing stock.

Nobody can borrow money at a better rate than the government. Bond rates are by far the lowest rate you can borrow money at as they pose no risk to the lender.

But it seems unlikely to happen as modern thinking is that the state investing in anything is bad.

They are building council housing in Scotland, my region will build 1250 homes in 5 years. They opened a development of elderly/ disabled bungalows in my village a couple of years ago.

The funding comes from grants from the Scottish Government and investment from councils.

Right to buy was ended here years ago.

There are pressures on social housing here but it's nothing compared to places like London.

It proves if there is political will to improve council housing stock if there is the political will to do so.

Kier, is that you again? You’ve only been in a week and you are asking for ideas ?! 😂

Housing associations have different rules to councils.

I know from my time a few years ago as a councillor, our local council was actually buying up affordably priced ex council houses to put back into their stock.

Obviously I'm not aware of current rules, but when I was there council housing rent income could not be used to subsidise council tax, it is ringfenced for housing only. My council were investing a lot back in their remaining stock on scheduled maintenance to meet something from the Government called Decent Homes Standards - bathrooms, kitchens, boilers, insulation for example. But it's a pretty big business, they had about 5,000 homes, average rental income per property of 100/week. £5,200 x 5000 = £26,000,000. The money is there to do this without borrowing if they decide to prioritise it.