Council housing - move tenants subject to decreasing family size?

[whatever17]

Do you think that tenants in social housing should be moved after their family's have grown?

For instance, a family gets a 3 bed house then the kids grow up and leave. Should the parents be forced into a 1 bed property? SHould they have to leave their family home after 40 years?

If so, surely no one would have any pride in the property. If they feel they have "a home for life" they will beautify the garden and keep everything respectable.

Should the solution be that there is enough social housing for everyone in need?

[whatever17]

Comrade - I am not trying to be fascist in saying - is the UK full. I think we are full/over-crowded and I think perhaps I have strayed off point.

[lesley33]

TheBride - Just to say, some people in their early 60's can be "old" and in very poor health. And the poorer you are,the more likely that you will die younger and live many years before that in very poor health.

The statistics back this up. But I also see it in my life. I come from a very poor background and most of my school friends parents are "old" at a relatively young age. But the area I live in now is well off and yes people in their 60's are very rarely "old".

[whatever17]

Lesley - I think there are some other things to consider too. It can take a long time and a lot of adversity to get the council housing in the first place.

Mine is the only secure home I have ever had and I would be devastated to give it up. I try to imagine how that would happen and I would happily swap a 1 bed with one of my kids if they had that.

[SockShitter]

Just some food for thought.. it is actually very difficult for non Uk citizens to claim benefits/ get council houses despite what you may have read in the Sun.

So it's foreigners like me who work and pay taxes that help support you having a house.

[Tortington]

the money spent in afhganistan is a drop in the ocean to what is needed to fix
the police force
the NHS
The education system
Social Housing

who what do we pick? in this imaginary scenario? what gets fixed first?

overcrowding and homelessness - or people who need life saving operations

Who?

• and.. so we bring the armed forces home - they will all still be paid - unless you want rid of the armed forces?
  

then we have a whole lotta shit going on there

more people unemployed
soldiers and their families being made homeless
more people claiming benefits

Not to mention the political aspects - no protection for the country
can't protect assetts abroad
cant protect citizens
reduced standing in the world - and the affect this has on the economy - creating unemployment and ...homelessness

[TheFrogs]

Whatever17, if they had said to me they would be moving me on in two years there's no way i'd have spent any money on this house...i'd have whacked a bit of cheap magnolia on the bright red/purple walls, blue/sunshine yellow skirting and left it at that (reduce the headaches!). I know it isn't and wont ever be my house...but it is our home.

I have said that if I move I will be taking everything. Which includes garden tap, plants, slabs, fencing...I paid for them, not the council. Might be a tad difficult getting the turf up but it is mine .

[Tortington]

you can swap

its called mutual exchange

[whatever17]

SockShitter - no one is saying "foreigners go home" at all. Just saying this is a small island and, with regard to housing, we seem to have no space.

Custard - if I had it my way I would get rid of the armed forces (no disrespect to servicepeople whatsoever). Why can't we have a system like Sweden? Wouldn't that give us more money.

Pick a service - wouldn't that give us more money for the police who are currently being downsized?

[whatever17]

custard - what if Frog doesn't want to swap. She likes her house, she wants to stay. She has improved it, and probably the neighbourhood, with her input and her money. She has invested in her community because she hopes she is staying there.

[Tortington]

so you pick the police.

great.

so we save the police force

and still - no money for nhs, schools or social housing

[Tortington]

i was commenting on you - you said about swapping with your children if you want to downsize

the option is availalbe - its called mutual exchange

[whatever17]

custard - sorry, I see. Yes, I would be happy if, in time, one of my kids has 3 kids and are in a small place, I would swap the "family home" for their 1 bed.

[whatever17]

Custard - personally, I wouldn't pick the police. I am not an economist, I presume you are not either. The police and the nhs and schools were your mentions.

I would pick welfare and social housing and the NHS.

[SouthStar]

Being someone who moves house every 2 years, It doesnt take much to make a house feel like home.
So yes it makes sense to make those downsize who no longer need x amount of space. But when it has been a certain way for so long its kind of unreasonable to make everyone change.

[Tortington]

so if we stopped our involvement tomorrow, the cost savings might cover part of the nhs - not near enough all of it i would bet.

so that leaves social housing out again - oh dear

[whatever17]

Custard - not all of it. If we stopped our involvement tmw - would it save any money?

[Tortington]

well isn't that YOUR argument - to spend the money on social housing instead ? if there isn't any cost savings then YOUR argument is again redundant

[whatever17]

SouthStar - I know what you mean. There is something emotive however about being allocated a council house, somthing secure, that is very hard to let go of. Especially after 40 or 50 years.

[whatever17]

custard - yes, I would prefer to spend the money on social housing. You said police, education and nhs. I said I also think those are worthy areas of spending.

And - how much is spent on defence and foreign aid that really we need here as we have holes in our budget, obviously.

[TheFrogs]

Our council have moved the goalposts recently. I have two friends who have been forced to redecorate their whole houses at their own expense before they are even considered for a swap or move. My close friend in particular was pretty pissed off at being told to paint a skirting board when ten years ago she accepted the house with broken windows and blood all over the walls. She's always looked after the house, like me, made many improvements. She got a nudge nudge (from the council) that the council were trying to discourage people from moving by making them decorate at their own expense. (wishes the previous tenants of my house were told the same)

[Tortington]

the savings wouldn't cover social housing

IS social housing more worthy of recieving these savings than - the nhs, police or education system?

[Tortington]

discourage them from moving where?

[whatever17]

Custard - that is my opinion that social housing is a worthy cause - but I do think the other causes are worthy too.

You said - discourage them from moving where - is that directed at me or Frog.

[whatever17]

I don't think that defence and foreign aid are worthy spending areas when the country appears to be in economic crisis.

[TheFrogs]

Probably me I think . We live in a two bedroomed house. I converted it to a three bedroomed at my own expense (stud wall, electrics etc) as I have a 14 year old boy and 7 year old girl. Ds's bedroom is 7ft by 7ft but with a huge boiler cupboard...he has just enough room to climb into his high sleeper.

We really need somewhere bigger and my neighbours are horrible too, tired of being spat at and abused in the street...but, such is life!