AIBU to call my local council housing department a bunch of fucking wankers - housing related!

[FeckingFrustrated]

Yes, I know they are just doing their jobs - tis the rules etc and I would never say it to their faces but wish I could I am so bloody angry and yes, this is a rant just to see if I am BU?

Council housed us in a 2nd floor flat far away from the area we lived in 2 years ago. Before that we were in temp accommodation for another 2 years due to being made homeless by private landlord wanting house back (nothing we did wrong). Private rent here (southeast) is between £1000-£1300 pcm for a 3 bed and most of the rentals that come up are ex-council houses that have been bought up. Council rent on a 3 bed is £450pcm . This is a 'new' town and the vast majority of housing is social just for a bit of background.

Due to me being made redundant just before the landlord shafted us, we went to the council for help (so 4 years ago now). Council housed us in a flat too small for us so we are overcrowded but said we had to take it and could then apply for a transfer. After we moved in they said we had to wait a year to apply for a transfer as they could not move us while we were on an introductory tenancy. So we wait out the year in a really hard living situation (4 DC, no outside space, complaints and swearing from neighbours about DC noise which is not excessive, nowhere outside to dry washing, 2 flights of steep concrete step to carry stuff up and down etc).

After the year, we apply to move and promptly told that we will have to wait between 3/4 years to for a transfer as we are 'adequately' housed, even though the council deliberately put us in an overcrowded situation!

Last month we were informed that because the council have changed it's allocation policy, we have been moved down a band and are not a 'priority' as we are only short of one bedroom and children in above ground flats are no longer an issue any more, so we will be waiting forever basically [anger]. I have a DS with SN who has been badly impacted by the lack of outside space and we cannot cope living like this any longer.

Our only option is to go back into private renting (and claiming housing benefit as it is too expensive) after wasting 4 years in an extremely stressful situation waiting for a suitable, affordable, secure home from the council, which the vast majority of people in this town have the luxury of. We have been holding on waiting and waiting for a house and have now been told that we are at the bottom of the queue again. I am so pissed off that I have wasted all these years for nothing and my DC have witnessed anti social behaviour and been cooped up like bloody chickens!

I have never so been depressed in my life as I have been for the last few years but we were holding out for a house we would not have to keep moving from, all for bloody nothing

it is the Tory rubbish that started with Margaret Thatcher flogging off the council houses

And Labour rescinded that awful policy when they got into power, did they? Did they hell. Or do anything to cap private rental? Again, did they hell. As for 'destroying' communities by telling people to get on their bikes - firstly, he didn't say that, and secondly, people have been moving across the world to look for work for generations - hardly the fault of the Tory party. Change the record, please - and yes, you are deluded if you think that Labour or any other Govt would build thousands of social houses/cap private rental costs/give everyone with a child with SNs a house with a garden.

Yes, we could build them. But they're not there now. The OP isn't going to find that solution to her problem down the road.

The political solution to this is a different thread to the OP. As Feminine said, you need to look for the positives in this situation.

I'm still not sure why having a garden is a must have. Yes, it's desirable. But if it was essential, then wouldn't every family in the UK with an SEN child be entitled to a garden?

I feel for you OP, have you had much luck with searching for private rented?

To be fair, 4 DCs is unusual. 3 tends to raise eyebrows in many areas. More than 3 does seem to be a choice only made by those who's lifestyle won't be dramatically effected by a large number of children, so those who are very rich, or those who are poor enough to need to use social housing anyway (and so can expect - even if in cases like this they don't get - a property large enough to fit in a large family).

If you are in the middle, surrounded by owner occuiped housing with people who couldn't afford to move to something larger if they had a larger family, and who's income is high enough to not be entitled to any benefits, but low enough to not be able to afford to fund a large family without a massive cut in standard of living, it is likely you'll never meet people who took the decision to go for more than 3 DCs. (I've met one family with more than 3 DCs in RL - and they are rich.)

Anyway, OP, I think YANBU to be upset that you made your decision to accept a lower standard of living in a SH property than what your DCs could have had in private based on untruths, it might not have been out and out lies, it might have quite reasonably been the situation when you were told, but it's still shitty that you made a decision based on certain factors that turned out to be wrong.

If you can now afford to go private rented, I would, just because your DCs get one childhood, if you can afford to give them a better standard of living yourself, then go for it. There is less security for you, but if your DH is working again and you can afford it, then you are best to take the risk and give them the best chance you can. Plus, in SH you still aren't secure, you are at the whim of council and government rules, which you've seen yourself, can and do change. (and I can't see any future changes being in the favour of SH tenants)

Does anyone actually "need" a garden? They have these amazing inventions called "parks".

A park? What is this park of which you speak, Midnite?

I think that yes,if you have kids you need a garden.

I think it's desirable, but I'm not sure you 'need' a garden if you have children

Living in a flat with kids is my idea of hell.

It's obviously desirable to have a garden, but millions of families around the world manage just fine without one.

Well I know that.

Millions of people manage without a lot of stuff.

Doesn't make it right though.

I've lived 8 years with kids in flats. Garden would be nice, but as we cannot afford it, such is life.

I know,expat.

I live in an ideal world in my head.

No, it's not right - in a perfect world everyone would have plenty of open green space, but sadly the world ain't perfect. Wish it was