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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

256 replies

donkeyderby · 19/10/2010 14:59

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?

OP posts:
limonejelly · 19/10/2010 20:04

run? turn

threetimespink · 19/10/2010 20:07

The many 8 millions that should at last go and earn their own living

What is wrong with that?

spikeycow · 19/10/2010 20:10

Bollocks to her life being turned around. She's living it up while families are living in one room hostels desperate for a home

zombishambles · 19/10/2010 20:10

Yes you're right and while they are out there walking into these jobs that pay enough for childcare etc they should look up and notice the flying pigs?

TethHearseEnd · 19/10/2010 20:11

Would those be the jobs about to be cut, perchance?

maristella · 19/10/2010 20:12

there seems to be a major fucking misunderstanding surrounding social housing, that tenants want to live in social housing!
we do not all want this, for so many of us it was the only option.
i do not want to live in social housing, but i have no option. rental prices where we live would plunge my child and i back into poverty. this council house, despite being in a high crime area, keeps us above the poverty line, but only just. this house has given my child and i the only security we have had. if i could rent or buy a private home, i would. if i could pay our way out of a high crime area, i would do it in an instant.
fucking tories Angry

maristella · 19/10/2010 20:13

argghh sorry for the swearing, i feel scared and angry right now :(

threetimespink · 19/10/2010 20:13

They have money to spend on internet and sky packages and time to type on here - is this why they need additional childcare?

zombishambles · 19/10/2010 20:16

Are you going to engage properly with the complicated issues surrounding this threetimespink or just be inflammatory and kneejerky?

petelly · 19/10/2010 20:17

limonejelly

I agree! I am concerned about HOW the govt will implement their plans and how vulnerable people will be affected. But in principle some of it makes sense.

Once someone is in a good job and doing well then they should have their circumstances reassessed. At the very least, 80% of market rent sounds reasonable to me.

Tangle · 19/10/2010 20:17

This is actually a genuine question (although I appreciate it may not look like that)...

Lots has been said on this thread about how the coalition is about to make the social housing situation worse and how the Tory's are going to "carry on the work started under Thatcher". Please can someone explain to me what the Labour government achieved in the 13 years they were in power? If a large part of the problem is that the Tories sold off lots of social housing and didn't replace it, what did Labour do to restock the social housing shelves?

thanks :)

Mumcentreplus · 19/10/2010 20:18

Oh been reading the DM have we 3xpink...lmao...

threetimespink · 19/10/2010 20:21

When a working family paid the taxes only to see those taxes to be used to increase local rents (through LHA) and force them, who work in the area, move away and commute for 1 hour each way - this is fair?

When the benefit claimant stays back in that town for "family reasons" and does f*ck all the whole day and now is being asked to relocate to a cheaper area but still into FREE housing - this is unfair???!!!

Give me a break!

petelly · 19/10/2010 20:21

*spikeycow"

She DID turn her life around. She was homeless and in a hostel and the council flat helped her at that point in time.

She's not doing anything wrong, immoral or illegal - as things stand at the moment, she's entitled to live in her flat and pay 40% market rent.

However, your point is correct IMO. She is more than able to rent privately. She does want to move out of her council estate - but she wants to save enough to buy a house first. I don't think that's right (as a system) when there are people desperate for housing and far far more in need than she is.

threetimespink · 19/10/2010 20:26

I like how people worry about "vulnerable" people and forget that there are those on oficcial average 25k per annum getting no help and somehow p[ayinmg those private rents.

Do I have to make myself "vulnerable", get myself on syringe so that you can start worrying about me too?

No unemployed person should live better life than anyone in work.

No unemployed person should receive a monetary benefit greater than a minimum wage.

curlymama · 19/10/2010 20:28

So, not meaning to be antagonistic, but me that knows absoulutely nothing about economics, would be quite interested to know what the options are.

The government want to reduce reliance on social housing to help clear the deficit basically. How should they do that?

I want to have an opinion, but I don't really feel I can unless I understand it properly. I wish they'd explain it in simple language to thickies like me!

spookerv1xen · 19/10/2010 20:29

maristella - i could have written your last 2 posts. its horrible and scary isnt it. me and dp were just saying we may as well sign on the fucking dole if this happens. wheres the incentive to better yourself in this goddamm shitty society? i want to work, i am looking at the moment, but i am damned if i am getting a job only for them to take my family's house away!

nobodyisasomebody · 19/10/2010 20:31

threetimespink

Are you always this ignorant and stupid? Or just on mumsnet?

spookerv1xen · 19/10/2010 20:32

and its pitting those in private rentals against those that are in council / HA properties. its making the private renters say, "yeah, let the jammy fuckers pay the going rate" but in reality the problem is that the "going rate" (ie private rental) is unaffordable to people earning modest wages. (as i said!)

god its like banging my head against a brick wall.

threetimespink · 19/10/2010 20:35

Raw abuse and sheer inability to make a point - must the outcome of leaving of benefits in the third generation

GiganGORE · 19/10/2010 20:38

Condemned are forcing us back on time with regards to social care. There will be a huge divide between the have and have nots.
I agree with hully. It is frightening that they seem to be getting away with it.

threetimespink · 19/10/2010 20:38

So who and what fueled those "unaffordable rents" ?
who - NewLab
what - Local Housing Allowance

sarah293 · 19/10/2010 20:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

salizchap · 19/10/2010 20:39

I am so scared I could cry right now.

threetimespink Yes, I have internet! It costs me £20 a month through a dongle package with my mobile, which is my only phone. These days it is very difficult to function in the whole of society without internet access. They closed the local jobcentre down, so the nearest is 50 minutes on a clapped out bus (£4.00 round trip), making jobhunting with toddlers a nightmare. You are charged extra for some paper bills, more and more banks are closing, so people need internet banking, and calling 0870 numbers on a mobile is extortionate.

It would be impossible to continue my Open University studies without it (the OU actually pays me a small grant per year for things such as internet access).

I am working for now unless they take my job in the public sector scurge. However, my income is very low, and I can't see how we will cope with higher rents. We aren't eligeable for HB, I DON'T WANT HB! I want fair rents!

IT'S PRIVATE RENTS WHICH ARE EXTORTIONATELY HIGH, SOCIAL HOUSING RENTS AREN'T LOW.

I earn £700 a month (full time), and pay £325 in rent (2 bed flat). How is that unreasonable????? Private rent for equivalent property would be around £550 minimum. That's most of my salary! How is that reasonable?????