to think that the Goverment's plans for Social Housing are disastrous

[donkeyderby]

Are beloved Govt are talking about charging 80 - 90% of market rents for social housing.

I'm not in favour of ridiculously low rents for council tenants, but won't this simply place thousands more people in the Housing Benefit trap of not being able to afford to work?

Uncontrolled property prices have contributed significantly to our society of haves and have nots and private rental prices must be keeping so many people chained to Housing Benefit. The average price for a 3 bedroom property in our area is around the £1000 per month mark. How can that be affordable to someone on a low wage? Ditto £900 PCM.

How will this work apart from going back to some Victorian era of cramming families into one bedroom?

Gin anyone?

Sorry, 'our'

I agree with you on this one, and I am generally in favour of a lot of things that the coalition are doing.

I am particularly about the plans to increase rent, or even ask people to vacate their council houses if they no longer "need" them. This will surely put people in the position of not being able to take a job for fear of losing their home. I cannot see how this will work, and nor can I see how it tallies with Tory policies of getting people off benefits and into the work place.

Sorry but YABU - social housing is not underpriced, private sector housing is over-priced.

This is one of those 'sounds good in theory- is catestrophic in practice' policy proposals.

The HB bill will soar, the incentive to work will plumet- is this really what any govt would want?

hb is capped

how would that work then?

Don't forget the cheeky little cap on HB they introduced a while ago...

I think the official line on poor people from Conservative party HQ is "Fuck them".

bubble...did you actually read my bit or just pick up a few random words and make a guess as to what it was about?

i won't try and upgrade my 3 bed HA house to a 4 bed then!!!

keeps me in my place i guess!

homeless charities will be overwhelmed in a few years time too,as if they arent already!!

all those evictions for non-payment of rent etc

I am in favour of removing tenancies for life under certain circumstances, e.g., people rattling around in three bedders if they can be moved to a smaller property in same neighbourhood etc.

However, what I would really rather see is fair rent controls in the private sector, (Thatcher got rid of them), a huge drop in house prices (back to a house as a home not an investment opportunity), and more social housing built so this desperate scrabble for housing ceases

Sprinkle, how can the govt dictate the rent of HA properties?

As per other thread all this will do is generate increased levels of homelessness.

i just picked up a few random words and made a guess as to what it was about. I'll be off now then.

HA's are regulated, one of our regulators [at this time] is the tenant services authority, if you take a look on their website you will see that we have guidelines to adhere to when it comes to rents.

the TSA is an independant regulator, which if the govt have its way will merge with the HCA i think.

NOW THE INTERESTING thing is this NHF "Current rent setting arrangements for housing associations are set to expire in 2012. Changes to the rent mechanism could have immediate and significant revenue implications for all housing associations and the housing benefit bill."

so our regulators age going to change

hb system has changed

rent setting will change

Bollocks.

So now all that's left is to place a bet on whether I lose my job or my flat as a result of tomorrow's cuts. Or both, if I'm lucky!

This is what people need to wake up to.

Rents will increase.

HB will be capped.

Poor people will live in ghettos.

While I'm sure there are sensible cuts to be made, I have no doubt that the main effect of current plans will be to make the needs of those requiring social housing someone else's problem. In the push towards "big society" it'll probably be overstretched charities picking up the pieces.

And the cynic in me can't help but think that increasing the rents for social housing will simply make private tenancies even more expensive and scarce in some areas.

I'm also wondering what the "market rent" idea would be based on. There's some quite decent, solid, spacious ex-council properties round here and they're very cheap. I'm sure the private rents for these properties would be nowhere near as high as those for a similar sized house in a mostly private street.

The most enormous social change is being planned and people don't realise/ can't believe it.

I'm afraid I agree with Hully.

The govt don't want any responsibility for housing (or anything). They are carrying on the work started under Thatcher who oversaw the selling off of council housing under right-to-buy and the simultaneous ring-fencing of the income received so that councils couldn't use it to replace stock.

The govt were delighted to encourage buy to let and let the private sector do the renting, everybody moans about "greedy landlords," but most landlords have four or so properties and make rents that just about cover the mortgages, but it's fantastic for the govt, they're off the hook.

Now the plan is to cap HB, so poor people just sort of go away, which will release more private properties, which will lower rents, which will make them affordable to those not quite at the bottom of the heap who might drive the odd bus so we don't mind one of them in our street. All the rest can go rot in a shanty town a la Mumbai.

Social housing rents did need to rise as they were very low and unfair on those paying the market rate. The percentage increse does seem high though. The cap seemed fairer, those that want to live in expensive areas could do so but by providing the extra themselves.

If it means more people do not qualify for full HB to pay the rent (due to the new caps) then it will mean those that wont or dont want to work will have no choice so the benefits lifestyle will end - that can only be good for the country.

Unfortunately it may impact those who do work full time for min wage (but not sure they would get full hb anyway) and the single disabled people where no form of work can be undertaken but hopefully things will equal out with higher personl allowances/ DLA.

Oh do let's hope so!

Imagine what a pother it might be for the feckless disabled if not!!!!!

What happens if they do work and do want to work but the demn wages are just a tad on the low side?

Are you a real human being or a computer generated govt response organism?