Should people on a good wage say £40,000 pA give up their social housing home?

[Cheekychops84]

not a personal opinion would just like others views on this matter? Is £40,000 enough to save up to get a mortgage or privately rent if you have 3 children ?

We'd have to pay an extra £800/£900 pm if we paid 'market value' rent on our council flat.

If we wanted to buy then we would get a mortgage for what, 3 x salary is it now? So, maybe a smidge over £100k, which is less than half what we'd need to actually afford something (never mind the fact that we have no savings for a deposit anyway).

Can't move to a cheaper area because we have jobs, and there's not a chance in hell that I would risk a new job (if I could get one) when I have years invested in this one (ditto with DH who's just avoided redundancy by the skin of his teeth)

We're on maybe £36k between us. We're okay but only just, and mainly because we don't run a car anymore, or go out on a regular basis or have holidays.

In short, no - in my area with 3 DC, £40k is not enough (South London fwiw) Might be different outside a big city but idk. It's not something you can make a sweeping statement about.

Crystal have you bought your flat on the right to buy

if you have you would of got a reduction on value,

the tenant pays rent so why should they not have things replaced when needed

if so you cant have it both ways,

also even if you bought at market value councils are notorious for this,charging large amounts for eg fire doors if the flat is bought,you really should of known of this before

The prices in London are shocking. We should not be living in a country where a person on a full time wage can't afford to live on their own. I HAVE to live with my partner or live in a flat share. I'm almost 30 years old. It is RIDICULOUS.

I want to live alone. But I can't because of the price. It simply shouldn't be like that.

A lot of landlords bought up these properties cheap and are now making a mint out of them. Providing a service? I never see my landlady, so apart from taking half my salary every month, what service does she provide? If something goes wrong, we have to sort it ourselves, call someone out etc. She pays off the bills on any work, sure, but it's not like she does anything else.

The cost of private rentals needs to come down. And it's not like landlords are in a hurry to make sure that happens even though it is entirely socially irresponsible.

tilly please can you answer my ????? up thread to you about the rise in HB costs that would occur

many thanks

Yes Gentleness the difference between social and private is only about £100. And I said only because in some places the difference can be as much as £400

You sound very bitter.

My DD & her DF are currently flat hunting as both about to start new jobs and getting married soon. Between them they will be earning c £40k, and they are looking at rental of around £950pcm (london fringes).

No Way could they get a mortgage as have no savings- just student debts and enough savings for rental deposits and the wedding. They would need 25% deposit and for London that is huge.

Vodka, £100 is a lot of money to some, especially these days. I know it is to me. I don't see how calling Gentleness bitter is relevant.

How in the name of frick would putting up the price of council house rents help absolutely anybody at all Trills. The whole point of them is that there's somewhere cheap and nasty to house all the peasants for next to nothing.

I live in Social Housing. I am not a peasant. My rent is not "next to nothing" and I am entitled to no benefits. Get out of your ivory tower people's princess.. you are sadly misinformed about society.

yes yellowraincoat £100 is a lot of money to me but I was emphasising that the difference between the HA and private was only about £100, as most people thing we only pay about £40 a year in rent in social housing. I was not saying that I am so rich I light my fags with £50 notes.

And judging by the rant Gentleness gave then they do sound bitter

thekidsrule More money would be spent on HB, but more money would be gained from renting out council houses at the market rate to people who earn more money.

Let's imagine a house costs £500 market value but currently is rented out for £250 to council tenants.

Someone who earns nothing
Before they get £250 HB, and the house costs £250, net = £0
After they get £500 HB, and the house costs £500, net = £0
no change to what the council has

Someone who earns a small amount
Before they get £100 HB, and the house costs £250, net = they pay £150
After they get £350 HB, and the house costs £500, net = they pay £150
no change to what the council has

Someone who earns a small-medium amount
Before they get £0 HB, and the house costs £250, net = they pay £250
After they get £250 HB, and the house costs £500, net = they pay £250
no change to what the council has

Someone who earns a medium-large amount
Before they get £0 HB, and the house costs £250, net = they pay £250
After they get £100 HB, and the house costs £500, net = they pay £400
the council gains £150

Someone who earns a lot
Before they get £0 HB, and the house costs £250, net = they pay £250
After they get £0 HB, and the house costs £500, net = they pay £500
the council gains £250

The council can then use that money to give more HB to people who need it (whether they are in council housing or not)

I believe that two families who earn the same amount and live in two equally-nice houses should pay the same amount towards their housing.

Vodka, I just think it's a bit petty to call people "bitter" especially when you have no idea of people's circumstance.

Meh, i'll live

Those of you jealous of the council putting in new kitchens and bathrooms..... We had that in last property. You are aware it fairly basic aren't you? Nothing flash... Just basic plain bathroom and not much better for the kitchen

I can't believe how entitled some of you sound. Life can be hard and expensive. Housing was supposed to be for the vulnerable. Nobody else deserves them. A huge amount of people can't afford to buy or have to rent somewhere less than perfect. That's life. It doesn't entitle you to social housing.

Put your knickers back on Krispy. The only "ivory tower" I live in a is a tiled 40s council block......

I personally wouldn't live in a council house unless I had to because of not having enough money or being ill or whatever.

It makes me feel a bit queasy that Bob Crow sees fit to take one up when he could afford to rent privately.

housing was supposed to be for the vulnerable

Really? What is 'vulnerable'?

yellow suppose you had to flee an abusive partner? Would you not accept it then?

The thing is, social housing was sort of meant to be for everyone that needed it. But then the Tories sold it off so there isn't enough. So really, if you can afford to rent privately, you probably should let someone else take your place.

That was part of "or whatever" KK.

You know, a situation where I NEEDED to take it.

Err, no. Social housing was supposed to be for everyone.

It is no longer used the way it was intended to be at all, because there isn't enough of it and some people have needs that take higher priority than others.

Why is it seen by some as not ok to live in social housing if you could afford not to, but at the same time it's seen as ok to buy a property under right to buy at a massively subsidised rate?

It's not ok for LLs to buy propertys and take on all the risk and responsibility, but it's ok, desirable even, to buy a cheap house that could be lived in by someone who has more need?

I don't think it's ok to buy a property under right to buy either. That's what got us into this mess in the first place.

but social housing should never be about people lininng their pockets should it?

I wish we didn't have the right to buy scheme but we do. If somebody wants to buy the home they love and live in it for the rest of their life fair enough. But I do object when they buy it for a knock down price and then immediately rent it out for top dollar.

When I took on this tenancy in march they gave me a massive folder full of details about buying this house...... So, if I got the magical 40k income and needed to own, should I uproot everyone and move elsewhere, or buy the place we are established in?