To want to give up an Housing Association house

[Mezzalune]

I moved from my hometown to a big city as my job in my hometown had come to an end and I didn't want to risk being unemployed. When I found out I had got a job in Manchester I was delighted. I was bored of the little Welsh village where I was born.

My job in Manchester was awful! So I decided to do a Masters in social work. I'm now on maternity leave and have my placement to do.

I gave birth to my son just after first year finished so I've only two essays and a placement to do.

I applied for a housing association home in the Peak District where my partner is from and we got one very quickly. However, I don't like it at all. The area is lovely, not rough at all and it is fairly convenient for everything but I'm miserable here.

My friends are all a good distance and I have literally no family to help with my son. I spend all day every day with him. We are even far from his family as they have moved.
I desperately want to move back to my hometown. The crime rate is very low, it's a beautiful place.i miss the sea, the welsh language, seeing all the people I've grown up with and who can never be replaced with friends I've know a year or two.

Only a few years ago I wanted to leave so I am aware I may be looking at things with rose tinted glasses but I do think I would be happier there. My friends have now moved away but I know people my age who are friends of the family. I just miss it so very much that when my course is finished I want to leave my home and live with my mum and then apply for social housing while living at my mums (I'm allowed do this, I have checked). My partner is very happy to move too.

I've registered in home swapper already but have had absolutely no interest which supposed me as I thought Manchester would be popular! It definitely isn't. A home swap would be great but I won't wait forever for one and when I finish my course, if I haven't got a home sway shall move.

A lot of people are saying that's a daft thing to do. Do you think it's unreasonable to move?

Waiting lists for council houses where I am moving to are fairly long but most people get a house within a year or two if living with family. Where I am now it's a 6 year waiting list but I had mine within a month as I was almost homeless.

'Probate renting isn't a proper alternative to social housing. For those not able to afford to buy a house, social housing is, and should always be available and the first choice.'

What a ridiculous statement. I agree that private renting is in a shocking state at the moment, I rent privately myself. But there simply isn't enough social housing to provide for those who can't afford to buy. Just because you can't buy doesn't mean you should go straight to social housing, imagine what it would be like if everyone did that!

'social housing is, and should always be available'
Err... actually no it isn't always available. There's a huge shortage.

'my sister in Wales says there is not really much difficulty at all.'
Well there we are then Mezz, a positive insiders view from Claw. I may not necessarily agree with your view on housing entitlement but I don't wish for you to struggle or be homeless. Good luck to you.

IF I'm brutally honest, I'm not interested if some people online think that about me. It doesn't effect my life whatsoever

I'm sure it doesn't affect you life.

Why post on here asking for opinions if you don't care what people online think?!

If you go ahead with your plan then you will free up your current home and get a new one in 1-2 years, so that is 1-2 years less time in social housing and effectively someone else gets a home for that period who wasn't going to otherwise. So in many ways, your plan puts your family in squeezed accommodation for the greater good. Isn't that a generally good thing?

Check with the local council you wanting to move to as lots have changed criteria like having to lived in county for min of 2years.

What about putting up some adverts in local shops in the area you want to move to for house exchange.

So many people registered on home swapper are time wasters, expect to go from a shithole to a fully decorated palace, like the idea of moving but have no real intentions. My sis been on it for years.

Grockle I know that a friend of mine rents privately in Liverpool's suburbs for amazingly cheap rents. Nice, well maintained 3 and 4 bed houses available for a fraction of what you might pay in Chester for a similar property.

It's to do with areas.

a different opinion -
'social' publicly owned housing should not be allocated on desperation until we get back to 'normal' and buy a house - there is nothing normal about being in deep debt for basic needs any more than it should be for health-care or education
these things should be publicly owned, for people not profit

It's not subsidised.... here we are again