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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

999 replies

OMFFG · 16/02/2012 10:46

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?

OP posts:
OpinionatedMum · 16/02/2012 14:46

Taxpayers you can untwist you're knickers....

"Let?s make a virtue of this necessity. Every Labour councillor, every council, the LGA, trade bodies like ARCH and the NFA, the CIH, trade unions, the four national tenants? organisations ? all should plan to publicly celebrate on 1st April 2012 the fact that council housing will have paid off its historic debts to government. From April next year it will no longer be subsidised, and in fact it will be making a modest return to reinvest in the homes it provides. Non-profit, yes, but subsidised ? no!"

and fuck off and find something else to be self-righteous twats about!

redbrickblog.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/is-social-housing-welfare-2/

TotemPole · 16/02/2012 14:46

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 confused

Bobolbach, being in temporary council organised housing is classed as homelessness.

They put families in temporary accommodation until they can move into a permanent council property. That will free up the private rental for the next family that needs temporary accommodation.

AlexTasha · 16/02/2012 14:57

This post just makes me angry. I hope it is a wind up....

usualsuspect · 16/02/2012 15:02

OpinionatedMum, great link , I doubt many of the outraged will read it though

shewhowines · 16/02/2012 15:02

Another one echoing those that said she is justified in feeling disappointed but her tone and swearing was VVVVU. Her last post was more reasonably worded though. Perhaps the overwhelming majority's viewpoint is getting through to her?
Need to differentiate between needs and wants in these situations - whether council or private/ whether housing or other issues.
The council have given them a roof over her head as a starting point and she admits when she is working they will be in a better financial situation. Up to them to exchange/ rent a better house themselves in the future. The council has been there for them in an emergency which should surely be the whole point of benefits/council housing. IT IS NOT A RIGHT TO HAVE ALL YOUR DESIRES/WANTS TO BE FULFILLED.

LilacWaltz · 16/02/2012 15:04

I have just looked online at this weeks offerings..... They are grim..... I got lucky last week thankfully, but the week before that was grim also. It really comes down to luck

maxybrown · 16/02/2012 15:06

ok, for those who seem to have mssed lots....

they owned a house, her DH lost his job, they lost their home - therefore they were homeless.

In the meantime council re homed them in current house - used as emergency housing BUT her DH then got himself another job therefore, they were not entitled to HB so cover the £875 themselves currently.

To rent privately would cost more than this for a 3 bedroomed house - £1200 plus, which they can't afford. (hence them not leaving to rent privately)

Because they are classed as being in emergency housing, the council bid on their behalf, if they want the property or not.

got that now? Grin sorry was fed up of reading the same questions being asked!

FWIW, my parents are living in a 3 bedroom council house (eek) - have lived there for 35 years self supported (just in case anyone wonders lol) BUT it is sooooo bloody tiny, how we all fitted in I will never know - I guess we never had much stuff back then, but if a couple of us go to visit we are all falling all over each other. Only one bedroom can fit a double bed in, and the box room can just about squeeze a bed and chest of drawers in (middle size) it has a built in rail for clothes hanging. It has a kitchen and a living room down stairs which is like a largish square, certainly noweher near the size of a through living room/dining room. My parents have a dining table in the living room but it is all vey cramped heI have rented 2 bedroom flats that were twice the size of their house! I'd go so far as to say that in 1996 I rented a modern (then) one bedroomed cute house - it wasn't much different in size to my parents house lol! Smaller yes, but not loads. Oh, and their garden is def NOT big enough for a trampoline Wink

sausagesandmarmelade · 16/02/2012 15:07

Am I right in thinking that if the OP refuses this offer, there is no guarantee of a better one...

So...if she turns down this offer she may well find that the next place is 'worse'

Tell them to stuff it OP

BabyDubsEverywhere · 16/02/2012 15:08

I was just wondering, if the council no longer had a need to house the family as they refused the adequate housing they were offered - what would happen? Would they be out on the street? What about the children?

How does it really work?

duckdodgers · 16/02/2012 15:12

Who is going to pay tax if everybody who wants a council property can get one, and then opt to work less, and pay less taxes, because they don't have to, as they have housing covered?

I wish I had the strength to be angry after reading this but its just so depressing. How idiotic to think that everyone the minute they get a council house works less or gives up work! I, like many other council tenants work full time and dont get "housing covered" and guess what - I pay tax to! Hmm

OP take the flat, Ive not read it as an entitled attiude really just a moan that what she was expecting is not what she is getting, thats life though isnt it. Reading some of this thread really has been like reading the comments in the DM.

bonkersLFDT20 · 16/02/2012 15:16

OP, did you not get any money when you had to sell your house?

Feminine · 16/02/2012 15:22

I don't like the jokes about the trampoline.

Bad taste, even if this is a wind-up.

Quis · 16/02/2012 15:27

What a nasty cross section of MN on display.

Poor OP. I hope you get back on your feet soon.

Other posters - try reading some good books, and then form an educated opinion of your own.

TheParan0idAndr0id · 16/02/2012 15:28
Hmm Just because you don't agree doesn't mean opinions aren't educated and personal. Did you read a good book on how to be patronising and foolish?
IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 16/02/2012 15:32

That's a shame. I thought the trampoline and balcony jokes were the best bit!

maxybrown · 16/02/2012 15:34

Just for a note - mine wasn't a joke about the trampoline - just saying a house doesn't gurantee a garden or one big enough to hold one! (a trampoline that is) like my parents house for example.

mrsjay · 16/02/2012 15:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheParan0idAndr0id · 16/02/2012 15:36

Not a single person said people living in council houses are unworthy or scum, or even came close.
Its quite tiresome when people just invent comments to argue against. Hmm

mrsjay · 16/02/2012 15:37

they didnt have to say it though if my posts is tiresome i will have it removed ,

TheParan0idAndr0id · 16/02/2012 15:39

they do have to say it, if they don't you are inventing it.

usualsuspect · 16/02/2012 15:40

mrejay you are entitled to post whatever you like

I reckon some on here only read the DM comments page tbh

NormanTebbit · 16/02/2012 15:42

I think it's ridiculous to complain about being offered a three bed flat because there's nowhere to put your fucking trampoline Hmm

I think it's ridiculous to complain about being offered a flat - plenty of us live in flats and manage to produce kids who are not crack dealers.

We know nothing about the flat. If it was damp, falling down, inadequate I would have much more sympathy. But there is nothing about this. Just alas of ' I wanted a house!' wailing.

I have read some books! Today I am reading 'Incognito' all about cognition, tis v interesting. And I live in a flat !

TheParan0idAndr0id · 16/02/2012 15:42

Of course you can post whatever you like, however what exactly the point of making up comments to refute. I might as well post "I can't beleive you're all saying that the council is run by giant lizards in human suits that want us all to throw our children off balconies onto giant trampolines! You should be ashamed of yourselves!"

mrsjay · 16/02/2012 15:43

people can think 1 thing and type another and try and fob their typed words as a debate where they would say things like drain on tax payers blah blah , sometimes you need to read between the lines on comments , I do think a lot of people are not in touch with how other people live and form their opinions on hearsay .

usualsuspect · 16/02/2012 15:44

now no one said people who live in flats are crack dealers Grin

shall we just make it up as we go along