to be pissed off with being offered a council FLAT instead of a HOUSE?

[OMFFG]

We have 4 DCs, youngest 16 months and they think this is suitable!! The flat is 3 bedrooms and on the 2nd floor of a small tower block and has balconies which I would be pretty worried one of the DCs may fall out of.

This is my worst frigging nightmare. We have been 'homeless' for almost 2 years and the council have housed us in temporary accommodation (private rented) which we have to pay market value for (£875 per month) even though we did not choose it and it's a complete shit hole. We could not leave as we would lose our priority on the council bidding list. We lost our house when DH was made redundant and could not afford to pay £1200+ to privately rent.

Now after all this they have offered us a fucking flat. I am furious because every week until last week, there were only offering 3 bed houses but we would always be 3/4 on the list. Now that a flat was offered, less people have bid on it so we got to the top of the list. I did not even bid on it, the council did. Apparently they can bid on 'our behalf' as we are homeless and if we refuse this flat, we will be taken off the housing list. How the hell will we cope in a flat???

The rent is 'only' £380 a month but a house would only be £20 a month more.

AIBU to tell them to stuff it up their arses?

Well, that's kind of my point Mrsd. It's our choice to rent this house as it's small, therefore cheaper than renting a 4 bedroomed place.
Still don't get the whole thing, they are not homeless. Or maybe I just have an odd veiw of homelessness.. as in no home

Are you for real? Talk about entitled. I'd refuse it and then sort yourselves out - good luck with that.

QuintessentiallyHollow-That attitude is just so depressing.And ill informed. And the reason that we have allowed this fucked up housing crisis to happen.

People in Council and HA places ARE taxpayers.

Housing costs on the private market are WAY out of proportion to average earnings.
If I work FT and earn 20 K a year, my rent would be 50 % of my net earnings.
This is not an acceptable situation.

Social housing was never, and should not be just for the very poor and downtrodden.

Utopian? I guess, if you think that free, tax subsidised healthcare, free schooling and public transport are Utopian.

I on the other hand think that these things are a mark of a civilised society.

And for the record, most council housing is not that great.

Sure, In London getting a council flat can be like winning the lottery but this is only because it is so scarce, affordable private housing is non-existent and we have been brain washed into thinking that housing is a priveledge rather than a basic need.

We were hit with a massive £14,000 tax bill in the same year dp's income more than halved to about £22,000 (turnover, not even profit). I had just had dd3 so was not at work. We are now horribly in debt, after having borrow on credit cards to pay the tax bill, mortgage, food etc (but am back at work, we have small rebate, gradually getting the debt down)

Shit happens, I understnad that, but forgive me if I am not too sympathetic to the op. I've made my bed, had some bad luck, am trying to climb out the hole. Am not going to start slagging off what little little help we did receive. (And I cannot afford Boden. Nor Next for that matter)

Take the flat and then fight your way out of it.

Whoops, don't know how I managed that.

Grow up Alpine.

You can have a fairly civilised society without all of those things, Northern.

God Help us.
Do any of the "we taxpayers" brigade seriously beleive that you pay for all you get in this country with your taxes??
Really? The roads, schools, libraries, hospitals? You haven't. Not even nearly.

Has anyone suggested putting the trampoline under the balcony in case the kids fall off it? Two birds, one stone.

The OP really should snap up the flat.

Changes are coming in for the way homeless applicants will be handled and she will like that option even less.

Alpine that was uncalled for really.

Loads of people live in flats or three story houses with balconies with children. Put locks on the doors and supervise.

Mama I like your thinking

It's the council's job to house you adequately. Not perfectly.

I hope this a wind up. If not you are being so vvvvu.

It must be a wind up- OP has not posted since

Has anyone suggested putting the trampoline under the balcony in case the kids fall off it? Two birds, one stone

Me ages ago...

OP certainly got the frothers frothing thats for sure

Exactly, HillyWallaby - council housing exists to keep people off the streets. We're lucky to live in a country with a welfare state. I would LOVE a 3-bedroomed council flat!

Oh, sorry, squeakytoy - I did not read all 18 pages. Well done, chick.

hotheels, it's good that you didn't end up in B&B. I hope you didn't mind me asking.

tantrumsandballoons, I wasn't suggesting she is entitled. It's about building your hopes up based on what you've seen, then things don't work out the way you expect. The initial reaction of being pissed off/upset is understandable, IMO.

OP refuse the flat which imo is suitable accommodation for your family.
Then you seriously will be up shit creek without a paddle.

I expect the thread will run on with lots of outraged taxpayers having their say

Me and dd have always lived in flats, both on the 2nd floor.

Never fallen off the balcony, and I actually prefer living in a flat as I feel more secure. You should be grateful you have you forever home.