AIBU to feel miserable that I don't qualify for social housing

[Nearlyhomeless]

I live in central London (North Kensington). I have been renting privately for many years but the landlord now has to sell the property. The rent is cheap for the area (600pcm) as the flat has no central heating etc and the landlord was friends with my parents. I live with DH and two teenagers who are at school nearby. We cannot afford to rent locally and even if we move to outer London we are looking at rents of around £1300 a month for a horrible property far away from transport (a whole wage). We both work but in the public sector. A mortgage is not an option as we have never been able to save for one and have poor credit rating due to debts we are still paying off - not extravagent we have never had a holiday since we were married - just living costs when we were lower paid than now.
I know there are a lot of people worse off and they have a greater need for social housing. I do however know quite a few people who have pretended to be single parents for example and get social housing even though they are better off than me financially or have moved into the areas from abroad.

I just wish there was some option for people like me who have a connection with an area to stay here and pay a reasonable rent.

Well said wibbly i'm now a lone parent and am struggling to pay my private rental alone as it is a lot higher than the LHA.

I am no more entitled to a council or ha house than the op.

Less so actually because my house is small but quite nice. op if your house is in a serious state of disrepair you will be given quite a few extra points.

They will come out and inspect it then give their findings to the LL. If he contests that it will cost too much you go straight up the list.

(simplifying the process a bit there but that's the gist as it was explained to me)

oakmaiden

there is only so much money to go around. Of course noone wants people to go homelss FFS! But not everyone can get SH, there is not enough to go around

I do think its unfair that people earning in excess of £50K get SH, and I also think its silly that old ladies stay in 3 bed houses thery have outgrown

and I can imagine how galling it is for the OP

But hand on heart I think there are more "desperate" things to spend taxes on
than people that dont want to move to a "horrible area".

This is not SH, or benefit bashing. Its just for me simple economic rationale

but its hard to dispute as the system is intrinsicly flawed, and this means people see it as justified to cheat the system

I will tell my grandmother she is a silly old lady

Porcamiseria - I wasn't directing my comment on you. It was just an aside, because I have been thinking about it all recently, that is all.

In general I agree with you, actually. But at the same time I think people being able to get housing in an area they have ties with (as in the case of the OP who has lived there all her life) shouldn't be an unreasonable ask.

It is difficult though. I can see how someone who has been in a particular SH house for umpteen years should not be turfed out just because their situation changes - especially as I understand that the cost of improvements etc to a SH house is at the tenants expense... But at the same time - if this is housing stock that belongs to society then for the good of society it should be ascertained that the most efficient use of it possible is being made. Which sadly does mean that society should not provide single people with large family homes. I suppose a compromise would be that SH rates should have a sliding scale all the way up to the same level as private rents, which should be applied according to occupation and household income. And possible financial incentives to occupants who downgrade to a smaller dwelling...

I don't know. I am often glad I am not in charge of sorting this countries economic and societal problems out....

Porcamiseria
I'm not picking on anyone but I get fed up with it always coming down to council house tenants being on benefits and therefore scrounging off the tax payer!
I have a council house and work FT and pay full rent and council tax.
In this area my house would cost twice as much to rent privately as i pay the council so if I rented it privately I would be lining some other 'taxpayers' pockets and would no doubt have to claim housing benefit as unfortunately we are not a high income family and live in the so called affluent south east!
The OP will be made homeless if she can't afford her rent when it increases. How is that cheating?

YOu have to earn less than £30k to qualify.

I would imagine you do qualify to apply for council housing. Pretty much anyone who can live and work here does. Go on your council website and look. Once you are on the list then just wait! Yes that could take years, but what else would you be doing?

I don't know anyone who has been on the Council list for housing who hasn't been offered something eventually. Everyone I know who went on the list had a member of the council housing team trying to stop them going on the list ("you will never get anything", " we could put you on a list in a different area") Most got a sink flat in a sink estate, but they got something.

I am in London too by the way

Kaluki, I know that SH is not all for "dole scroungers", really

like oak said, its a mess and will stay a mess for many many reasons

sigh

From CAB's www.adviceguide.org.uk:
Look at 'renting from a private landlord.'

The tenancy began before 15 January 1989

If your tenancy began before 15 January 1989 you could be either:-

a protected tenant (see below); or
an occupier with basic protection (see below).
Protected tenants

As a protected tenant you have the following rights:-

security of tenure. Your landlord can only repossess the accommodation in certain specified circumstances - see under heading The right to stay in the accommodation
the right to have the rent fixed by the rent officer - see below
the right to have rent increased only in certain circumstances - see under heading Fixing and increasing the rent
the right to have the accommodation kept in a reasonable state or repair - see under heading Repairs
the right of your spouse, civil partner, other partner or another family member to take over the tenancy on your death
the right not to be treated unfairly because of your disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexuality.

As Mummymeister says, whether you have a written contract or not, you are probably a protected tenant. I agree, go back and explain this - maybe it wasn't made clear before, but it should make a difference to the advice you're given.

Yanbu about being miserable but you are if you think you are unique in this.

Social housing has been and continues to be sold off. The waiting list in Camden is apparently 98 years approx.

98 years

My parents have told me that they joined the waiting list when they got married - it is now their 40th wedding anniversary this year and they are still waiting apparently, but this sounds like a bit of a story to me

You can join the lost means you do qualify

" or have moved into the areas from abroad. " what's your point?

LST, you misread that

If your children are teenagers I think it would be dreadful if their education were disrupted at this critical stage. Have you thought about contacting your local councillors and seeking a meeting/attending a surgery to see what your rights are. You will, of course have to be totally honest about the arrangements in relation to your current agreement with the landlord. The pros and cons of your situation, imo, pale into insignificance compared to the education of your children.

For anyone shocked btw, £600 for where the OP lives has been an amazing deal for years. I recall paying £378 for a one and a half bedroom maisonette where the OP lives in 1981!

Know how you feel to. We moved 60 miles from London even though all my friends and family are there too. If we lived where I grew up in London, we'd be in a two bed flat.