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AIBU?

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Original poster

To take a bigger council house than we need?

999 replies

isthisunreasonable · 15/01/2013 10:11

Have namechanged for this as it's pretty obvious who I am if you know me...

We currently have a two bedroom house (3 children) and we can fir just about but it's a squeeze. We are "entitled" (cringe) to a 3 bed house but it's likely to be 4-5 yrs by the time we would be offered one so placed our details on the Housing Association's "mutual exchange" site. We have also said we are happy to take a 2 bedroom house with separate dining room to use as the 3rd bedroom.

Have been contact by someone via our housing association's "mutual exchange" list. They have a large 4 bed house with a dining room and massive garden and they want to downsize (older couple all kids left home) and would like our house.

Given that is is bigger than we actually need . Part of me thinks it should go to a family with 5/6 kids but part of me thinks this couple are looking for a mutual exchange to downsize to a 2 bed house, what's the chance of them fining such a large family in a 2 bed house that they want.

It would be fabulous for us of course, lots of space for everyone, kids could have their own bedrooms and a nice big garden to play and we wouldn't have to move again when we have more children (planning another 1 or 2 in next 5 years perhaps).

Would we be unreasonable to accept it?

OP posts:
usualsuspect · 15/01/2013 19:48

It's ok I don't need your blessing,neither does the OP.

tethersend · 15/01/2013 19:57

Tsk. All these people with a sense of entitlement to things they're entitled to.

Dawndonna · 15/01/2013 20:01

Envy?

Oh dear me, patronising.

JakeBullet · 15/01/2013 20:04

There is a huge amount of envy on this thread. Lots of people moaning about someone who has something they woukd like and haven't got. Thats envy......
lots of "its not fair" type comments too.

No its not fair......

......that the OP once found herself in a dire enough situation to need social housing.

Life isnt fair
The system isnt fair
The housing situation in this country stinks.

ComposHat · 15/01/2013 20:07

"It is almost funny LBE, Some of them wouldn't dare walk through a council estate, I don't think they would want to live on one.

They send their children to school miles away in case they have to mix with the rough kids , but they are jealous of their houses.

They need to make their bloody minds up"

^^ This! Every wonderfully well chosen word of this!

usualsuspect · 15/01/2013 20:09

Social housing tenants are not the cause of the dire housing problem in this country,neither is it up to them to provide the solution.

JenaiMorris · 15/01/2013 20:15

This is one of the most depressing threads I've ever read. If the some of the ill-informed, poorly developed and spiteful opinions here are representative, we're fucking doomed.

As I said upthread, OP take the house. Some luck had come your way - something usually reserved for the monied. Good on you.

Everyone else - deal with it or DO SOMETHING. We ALL have a human right (note lower case) to a decent, affordable home. That many people are denied that is not the OP's fault; argue for more housing like hers, don't begrudge her hers.

NorthernLurker · 15/01/2013 20:22

Dh and I have three children. We have a mortgage on our four bedroom house. I can confirm that four bedrooms for five people is NOT excessively large (curse the playmobil, desks for homework and bookshelves...). Our development does have houasing association properties included. Built in the same style as the private homes they are smaller but I think pretty nice. Over the road from us live another family of 5. I think they have dad and 4 kids in three beds. I suspect they may have been housed there in part because of mum's terminal illness which killed her a few years back. So look at that - they live on the same street as us and pay a fraction in rent what it costs us in mortgage. Whose shoes do you think I want to be in? Who's shoes would all your jealous souls like to be in? Envy is horrible. If this swap goes ahead the OP will have caught a lucky break. Good for her. If you can't agree with that then probably best to say nothing at all.

Dawndonna · 15/01/2013 20:24

Well said, Jenai.
There are posters on here without a couple of brain cells to rub together. If they had a synapse they'd think they were a bloody plant!

TandB · 15/01/2013 20:25

I'm assuming 20 pages = massive bunfight, but I'm just going to answer the OP and the first few posts I've read.

I don't see a moral problem with this, OP. Both these houses are currently occupied. If the swap goes ahead, both houses remain occupied, and therefore unavailable for other people on waiting lists, but they are being used in a more sensible way.

The housing system is far from perfect, and there seems to be a lot of scope for piss-taking, but I don't see how this is a piss-taking situation. At the end of the swap, there won't be any more houses available in the area, but those that are in use will be better used.

DoodlesNoodles · 15/01/2013 20:47

kungfupannda.

.....I'm assuming 20 pages = massive bunfight...

.... You could be onto something...... Grin

Chunderella · 15/01/2013 20:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nailak · 15/01/2013 21:07

i love the idea private rentals are more middle class! the ha properties around here are defo better then those available for an affordable rent in the private sector!

ethelb · 15/01/2013 21:10

I've had a think about this thread and really I am happy the OP and her family have found a better house, and that an elderly couple have found a better, more suitably adapted house for themselves (I am well aware of how hard this is if you are disabled as adapted housing simply doesn't exist). It is the best scenario that can possibly come out of a shit, unfair situation.

However, I really do resent the calls of envy and bitterness. The amount of priviledge that the OP has admitted to her (and acknowedged upthread, I;m sorry I missed that) is really no different to the "my diamond shoes are too tight" threads where the OP gets an utter slating. Oh, and those of any OP who dares earn more than tuppence a year.

Whether you earn a lot of money or are priviledged enough to have significantly reduced housing costs (via state or private sources) you have more cold, hard, cash in your hand at the end of every month than most, and to post about it is to invite comment imo. Or else, why would you post?

ethelb · 15/01/2013 21:10

@nailak there's that to.

Chunderella · 15/01/2013 21:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

shesariver · 15/01/2013 21:21

the op was smirking at the idea of getting a decorating grant along with her oversized property

Creighton thats a complete and utter lie.

smokinaces · 15/01/2013 21:24

Yanbu. When I got my social housing I was given a three bed and lived there just me and my two young boys. I have just downsized to a two bed, which is square footage bigger than my previous three bed. So Yanbu.

Lonelybunny · 15/01/2013 21:25

Why are people being bitter? Go on the housing list of you want/need an HA home , you won't be offered one if you are not on the list ? Unless you earn to much so you won't be entitled? Believe me if I could afford to buy my own house I would jump at the chance! But we work crap hours for crap pay because we had children young and that's all we could find to fit around the children. We are now in a lovely house but the area is much to be desired :-/ I hate letting the children out to play as some strange ones round here, our garden is teeny tiny and it's a 4 mile all round walk to school! But I'm thankful and I have always worked and paid into a system which is supposed to help/protect us? Correct?

Lonelybunny · 15/01/2013 21:29

We got a decorating grant when first given an HA home we could only purchase paint which was really helpful but carpets were over £1000 when we did a swap you get no help at all, we had 4 doors missing ! Carpets were 15 years old :-/ wood chip wallpaper everywhere ! And it's cost us a fortune and it's not our home we could have it taken away with a flip of change of rule from the government. People say that we have lifetime tenancies that's not fair bla bla bla well the government can change that at any time if they wish ! I have private rented and it stinks the price , the insecurity, the mould, the lack of a proper bathroom, the constant boiler breakdown I've been thereits no fun but don't be jealous of others luck and fortune

Anifrangapani · 15/01/2013 21:33

Chunderella industry research is about a third want to downsize, a third are going to find the top up amount and a third are ignoring it. This has been replicated by several HAs.
For those interested in how housing is subsidised, local letting policy and rent setting then read the Capital Funding Guide on the Homes and Communities website.
Housing Associations can charge either a social or Affordable Rent. Social rent is set by what was the TSA and relates to the local housing allowance . Affordable Rent is upto 80% of market rent on a fixed term tenancy of at least 2 years.

nailak · 15/01/2013 21:38

but the HA rents here are less then the LHA for housing benefit? like for 2 bed the LHA is 206, but for 800 a month is the price of a 4 bed HA house.

Anifrangapani · 15/01/2013 21:48

It can sometimes be skewed where you get local hotspots increasing the averages but in the local area the social and market rent are very similar. The ha may decide in their local area to charge less than the lha or social rent if it means they have a better occupancy rate. Blackpool is a classic example.

Anifrangapani · 15/01/2013 21:52

It also depends on the funding stream. The ha rent in your example would be Affordable Rent and the lha will be social rent paid by HB

Lonelybunny · 15/01/2013 21:56

What is lha?

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