getting envious of people in decent social housing, when i have no right to be envious

[PandaPicnic]

i am being a total twat today
even annoying myself

but close to wear we live there are some really realy nice brand new houses being built
30% of these houses are going to be social housing

these houses to but cost in the region of 250k three bed semi

we currently live 10min walk away in a 3 bedroom house

these new ones have been built in a traditional style and are really nice, although the gardens are very small

i have no reason to be envious as we own our house, which is probably worth around 200k and have a morgage of about 100k which we can afford quite comfortably
and i realise when we are older,assuming we live that long,
that we will have an asset, although suppose theres a good chance that could get sold to pay for a care home or whatever

anyway

i suppose this am walking past i was just thinking these people that move in will have lucked out big time

i understand that not all social housing, in fact the vast majority are no where near as nice
and that its a kind of massive lottery who gets what home, you could have one family struggling to get housed anywhere, another family in a mouldy inadequate smelly flat yet another family who virtually hit the jackpot with one of these homes

i don't know why im getting envious about it
perhaps its the bloody tory goverment polluting my mind
perhaps i need some brain bleach and a good lie down

i realise i might stick over this, thats fair enough i can take it

but i really do not want to feel this way and i was really wondering why i do and how to correct it

Concentrate on your own life.

People thinking the way you are at the moment ( can I be the first to say thank you for recognising that it may be a case of brainwashing thanks to the government and media) are the reason why so many are being tainted with the same brush and getting flack for a situation that isn't their fault.

You are in a much better situation and you know this. Don't get yourself wound up over something someone may or may not have.

You have answered your own question surely?
They get to live in a nice home, money is paid to the local authority
Alternative to having sub standard private let housing that gets paid to a landlord?

An increase in social housing is a positive thing. You are very lucky to have secure housing, try to feel a bit more content

I don't know why you are envious, I expect your mortgage isn't much different to the rent of the social tenants and will be paid off at the end.

As you said you have an asset. Those who move into social housing could quite easily be paying rent for 50 odd years with nothing to show for it at the end.
You may or may not need a care home,your home may have to be sold to fund it,like wise the savings of the social tenants will be used to fund a care home should it be needed.

Rather than being envious, why not think that some family will be homed and be glad for them.

Think of other reasons why they may be offered that house:

Domestic violence
Death of a loved one meaning they lost everything
Illness resulting in loss of employment and their own mortgaged home
Just loosing your job or being on zero hours contract can leave you with nothing

Still feel jealous?

Yep the government have done a great job when someone with their own asset and a comfortable mortgage resents more social housing and someone less well off getting a secure and affordable home.

but i really do not want to feel this way and i was really wondering why i do and how to correct it

Try to think of the type of people who may be getting one of those homes. Maybe a single Mum who fled abuse and has been living with her in a hostel or refuge for several months. Or a low paid family who have spent years living in unsecure private rented flats because they can't afford a deposit to buy. Think about how excited they will be to have a bit of security and a little garden for their children to play. If you still begrudge them well there's no hope!

*with her children

yes i do realise theres allsorts of reasons people need these houses
illness disability breavement job loss
i am v sympathic to these things having been though them myself

my mum told my dd the other day everyone has to go to work you know, and i butted in and said well not everyone does, some people cant work for various rasons such as illness disability breavement
and that its best not to judge as you don't know other peoples circumstances and reasons
and that its better to be a bit more broad minded

and im actually in favour of building more social housing

i dont want families living somewhere old run down and mouldy

i think our morgage is about 500pm which i realise is alot lower than alot of folk

I understand you, but you're in a fantastic situation. I couldn't begin to afford a house if I saved for a million years, and neither could the families being rehomed. Certainly 100k mortgage,wow - I have worked since I was 16 and I am now in my mid thirties, I have never earned 100k in my whole life. Anyone who let me get a mortgage would be utterly mental.

I could rant on about this for ages, but we have had such a shift in our perceptions of social housing that we now perceive it as the "bad" (shiftless, lazy, drug addled, benefits leeches) who get social housing and not the "good" (decent upstanding people like you and me), as though social housing was a reward in life like a power-up in a video game. This works for other benefits, too - recently a Daily Mail columnist was bemoaning the fact that heroin addicts were getting £10 shopping vouchers in one trial area for clean urine tests and decent honest taxpayers like her didn't get anything like that. She earned tens and possibly even a hundred thousand more than I do and she begrudges a heroin addict £10 for trying to break their addiction. That is kind of what people who moan about "houses for free for the shiftless" look like.

Did you see the Channel 4 documentary "How to get a council house"? It's on 4od still. I thought it was really good and quite shocking. In some areas people are on the waiting list for an average of 5-10 years.

We all have moments like that, when we feel jealous of other people, for whatever reason. Sometimes it seems unfair, when you strive to achieve a three bed house etc, and other people,seemed to,be given it scott free. As you said, you are just having one of those days.

"but we have had such a shift in our perceptions of social housing that we now perceive it as the "bad""

yes i think your onto something there
its like ive been brain washed to think social housing is sponging or something

A year ago I moved into social housing like you describe. It's a new build house and is beautiful and I do feel lucky when I compare it to some of the dreadful places I've lived before.
I was moved here after a four year wait on the list for housing.

The flat I lived in for 8 years before moving here was totally unsuitable for the needs of my children and was full of mould.

I was a priority for this place due to my children's needs.

I'm a single Mum, my sons father died and my daughters father left us when she was only 10 months old.

In a few years my son will be old enough to move out and I'll have to move somewhere smaller as I won't be able to afford this house any longer but am enjoying my time here whilst I can.

I would give up this house in an instant to swap with your situation. I'd love to have the security of a mortgage. I'd love for my children not to be disabled and I'd love for them to have their Dad's bringing them up and to not have to struggle so much alone as a single Mum caring for their needs entirely alone.

i've seen some of the how to get a council house
only snippets though really

You should watch it.

While you are, please remember that even if these new people are claiming benefits (they may not be) they still have to partly pay council tax and housing now, so they have less to live on than you think, and NOTHING has increased to soften the blow either.

blue balloon, i sorry to hear abour your dh
our ds1 died so i do understand some breavements change your life entirely forever
i do get that
and i am glad you have a safe mould free home now

Thank you Panda, I'm sorry to hear about your DS1.

I really hope you can understand that no matter how things look on the outside there can be some genuine reasons for people living in social housing and genuine reasons for them being a priority to live in a nice new build.

I often feel I am judged for living here, but will only be here for a total of five years anyway and really my life isn't great at all.

Both my children are disabled and constantly having surgery. I'm often worn out, depressed and struggling with loneliness and would love to have the security of my own home.

So you are paying 500 pm and will have an asset when mortgage paid off. They will probably paying the same in rent and have nothing to show for it.

I'm very envious of people who own their own homes.

I'm 34, both DH and I work very hard and have done since leaving education. We could never afford the deposit on a house so we're stuck paying £700 a month to privately rent a 3 bed house. We have very little money left over each month because of our extortionate rent but we have no choice but to pay it.

I go to bed each night dreaming of a lotto win just so we could own our own home.

You've already won the lotto op.

I'm so sorry Panda I posted before reading about your sons death.

Jesus wept! You will own your own home. They will have nothing to show for about the same rent.

Isn't it pretty hard to qualify for social housing? I would guess by qualifying for social housing that they haven't lucked out at all. I'm happy to be corrected.

We have a new development next door to our building. 2 bed flats are £600k and we are 10 seconds walk from a big beautiful park in Central London. 30% is social housing and these flats are far lovelier then ours.

I can't feel annoyed about it or resentful. We are so lucky, we have our health, jobs and a stable, happy home. I can't even guess what the residents circumstances are.

"I really hope you can understand that no matter how things look on the outside there can be some genuine reasons for people living in social housing and genuine reasons for them being a priority to live in a nice new build"

yes i do totally get that

and i totally understand some people can't work due to various reasons