to ask how we can sort out housing?

[Hullygully]

So. First time buyers largely priced out. Rents going up. No new building. HB cap. Little security of tenure for private renters. Landlords being stuffed.

When Right-to-Buy was introduced, both as cynical gerrymandering and vote gathering, and because the govt wanted rid of the responsibility for social housing, there was an encouraged explosion in Buy-to-Let to take up the slack.

Now we have a large number of landlords with a few properties operating on narrow margins who have little protection against rogue tenants (particularly those on HB who are told by their councils to wait it out until eviction) and who are able to pocket the first 8 weeks of rent before any action can be taken, and who are therefore understandably reluctant to take on HB tenants, plus, with the introduction of the Cap, HB tenants will be able to pay less than the market rent in large areas of the country.

Then renters have little security, they can be given two months' notice after six months, a nightmare particularly for families settled at schools etc. And of course there are some nightmare landlords around who don't carry out repairs etc.

Suggestions?
Solutions?

It was in response to the "hard working people paying for the housing allowance of those who don't work" comment Talkin.

you're right, dreaming, some of them would sell, although some of them would have difficulty coming to terms with the fact that they had to sell for less than they paid, and possibly less than the mortgage. Some however would continue to say they couldn't afford to sell at a loss, bit like some of them say they can't afford to rent at a loss.

Radio discussion on at the moment. The Coalition are to extend the Right to Buy scheme on council homes: Cameron and Clegg are to make announcements and give further details on Monday 21st Nov.

The discount to raise from 25% to 50%

Large section of today's Times on this today too although I won't post a link because they have a fire wall unless you subscribe on line.

State guarantee of part of the deposit will help those who cannot raise it all. More homes to be built.
Bigger council house sale discounts

can someone remind me, what is the benefit to the country of selling off social housing so that it ends up in the hands of private landlords?

sorry, I should have said "selling off social housing at half its value"

Then plan is to build 450,000 new homes too. I suppose they think the more people who own the better and that it gives council tenants more of a stake in society if they buy their place. Also the council discount has not kept pace with rising houseprices as it is capped so this just rights that balance.

No, PigletJohn is right.
I have mentioned this before, I think, but on the estate we used to live on, most of the houses were EX-Council, and privately rented to people who previously would have been council tenants. Only difference is that if they were council tenants they would be able to afford the rent out of their wages, and not had to claim housing benefit to pay double what a council rent would be, to a carpetbagger private landlord.
Oh, that and the possibility of being turfed out at any point with only one month notice.

so if the councils build 450,000 homes at (say) £200,000 each, then are forced to sell them at £100,000 each, that is good for the country because?

What about the quality/ liveability of housing. When I was buying, a few years ago, I looked round so many houses that were 2-beds, that had so little space.
Living rooms barely big enough for a TV & sofa, miniscule kitchens, bedrooms tiny and with no built in storage, so that by the time you had a wardrobe, bed and chest of drawers, there was no room to move.
I think if houses were built with living in them in mind, there would be less of a crush to get on the first rung, then move up to the next and so on. Why can't a 2 or 3 bed house be built with staying there for a while in mind? So many of those places are just not suitable for anything other than a couple. Forget having people coming stay, let alone contemplating starting a family...!

the great housing shortage is a myth
there are lots and lots and lots of empty homes
and the price rises over the past 20 years are because all of those involved in selling houses get paid a commission on the selling price (estate agents, surveyors, mortgage companies, insurers etc etc) so have a vested interest in allowing it to rise inexorably.

the cost of a house SHOULD be the cost to rebuild it from the ground up.
A house in my road was recently built for just under £100,000
was offered for sale at £249,000
and is now being rented out for £1,200 a month
so more than double the inherent value

Yes. The difference between the rebuilding cost for my house buildings insurance and the value of the house is very large and was in 1997 when we moved in too.

House prices often do get corrected over the years in price crashes. We have had quite a sustained number of years of increases recently but I am sure there will be a correction.