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AIBU?

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Original poster

So now the Tories are bringing back the Right to Buy scheme. Anyone else think they're losing the plot?

227 replies

AyeAmarok · 14/04/2015 08:13

We have a housing crisis, especially in affordable social housing, so they are going to offer tenants the right to purchase it for up to 70% discount Shock

It seems like every day brings new nonsense.

I quite liked about 80% of what the Tories have done, until this week. It seems such a desperate attempt to buy "working-class" votes.

Election 2015: David Cameron to pledge right-to-buy extension - www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32295970

OP posts:
SoonToBeSix · 14/04/2015 20:31

Mummy not necessarily we get partial HB we would still qualify for a morgage based on our income. The raason we get HB is we have three disability premiums which pushes up our eligible amount.

SoonToBeSix · 14/04/2015 20:34

Mummy many people are working above minimum wage and still get HB.

HeeHiles · 14/04/2015 20:47

I heard Brandon somebody - housing minister on the radio earlier - he said that the HAs would get the full market value on the sale of their property........so taxpayers will be subsidising the discounts, Stupid Stupid Stupid Angry

Lardylassnomore · 14/04/2015 20:50

I'm really glad I read this thread. The right to buy pledge was mentioned weeks ago in one paper ( I posted a link) and I thought it would be a vote winner. I am glad that so many people are sceptical about this.

OrlandoWoolf · 14/04/2015 20:51

so taxpayers will be subsidising the discounts

But we're rich. No deficit at all. No cuts to be made in public services.

Rich,rich I tell ya Confused

Aermingers · 14/04/2015 20:55

I don't think they have any intention at all of following this through.

It would be massively unpopular with the right because they will either be on the housing ladder or want to be and will resent subsidising somebody else buying a cheap house when they've paid over inflated prices for their own.

It won't be popular on the left because they won't want social housing stocks depleted further.

I think it would face huge opposition from all sides and possible legal challenges and would be quietly dropped.

I think they've shot themselves in the foot with this, apart from a minority of HA tenants who are in a position to buy I can't see how this will appeal to anybody.

butterflyballs · 14/04/2015 21:09

The Tories have run out of things to sell so are now trying to sell stuff they don't even own.

Bunch of short sighted idiots.

TendonQueen · 14/04/2015 23:23

Back of a fag packet stuff with no thought behind it. It's like watching one of the hopeless Apprentice teams when the self-confident idiot comes up with a 'great idea' just before they have to pitch and the others can't articulate why it's bad even though they have a bad feeling about it. And then it's out there.

greenbean789 · 15/04/2015 00:20

I find many postings here to be offensive, viewing HA tenants as lazy, on benefits and so on. My husband works very hard to pay bills, I work hard too, but my income is barely enough to cover childcare, let alone to get a mortgage. But just because the HA tenants will be offered right to buy and discounts, it doesn't mean they will all rush off and start buying their houses off. The discount for London can seem like a big amount, but with the market value of our 1 bed HA flat in London being near half a million, we still won't be able to afford the rest £400.000. Most tenants have a right to shared ownership already but not many exercise this right for various reasons. So if some social tenants are offered a chance, can afford it and become homeowners, then I would say good for them!

GiddyOnZackHunt · 15/04/2015 00:41

green bean - I don't think anyone is saying HA tenants are lazy! If you're looking at the right to buy then you must work. How would you feel if your home was one of the properties that must be sold to fund others' rtb? At that price it has to be up there in Dave's top third. You can buy or leave whenever your tenancy needs renewing - they need the half a million to let lao buy her flat.

irrationalactor · 15/04/2015 09:46

I'm a private renter. I've been made redundant three times and had to move for work. I've worked hard for ten years, trying to save a deposit, just to watch as home ownership gets farther and farther away every year.

I would do anything to be housed by a Housing Association. If you're a HA tenant then you are in a far better position than most people renting, already. You have security and you have a more reasonable rent than people like me have to pay.

I feel like I've 'worked hard and done the right thing'. But no politician is lining up to give me 70% off a house, or a free 100k.

People have to do what's best for their families. But when did we stop thinking about other people's families? Why are our leaders act like they're handing out lottery tickets, rather than trying to fix things for everyone?

Please spare a thought for those people who aren't entitled to housing benefit, who don't have a hope of reaching the top of a housing list, who have been priced out of buying a house, but are nevertheless still obliged to fork over half their money every month to some buy-to-let profiteer.

The housing situation in this country is a mess and the Tories come out with this claptrap, which will benefit a few - already lucky! - people, while making everything worse for everyone else.

Good luck with your housing situation, everyone. We all need a secure home to call our own.

Kittymum03 · 15/04/2015 10:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

orangefusion · 15/04/2015 10:09

There has always been a right to buy- we all have the right to buy houses THAT ARE FOR SALE, how dare the government force Housing Associations (charities) to sell thier assets for less than the market value. I cannot for the life of me see how even the Tories cannot see the inherant wrongness of this. The housing associations will not be repaid for these losses- the tories say they will fund it from the sales of expensive housing stock in local authority control, but this will only happen when these properties become available to sell. This whole thing is a nasty cynical way to fool people into thinking they will get something for nothing.

The reality is that many people in HA properties are claiming HB or tax credits (radio 4 news last night had a statistican talking about and the percentage of those that can get a mortgage will still not be earning enough to buy their place even with discounts. So that is how they are going to pay for it- hardly anyone will qualify for it.

DoraGora · 15/04/2015 10:12

I think there should be an equal right to buy groceries for pocket change. New cars for a fiver is also quite a good idea.

OrlandoWoolf · 15/04/2015 10:14

I've rented for ages - always privately and never claimed HB. It's expensive and insecure. I've had to leave 2 properties because the landlord wanted them back.

I also would love to have got the security of an affordable place to rent at an affordable price. But the lists were massive.

Luckily - due to inheritance, I was able to buy a flat. Ironically, an ex council one that was sold off in the 90s. Someone has made a fortune on that.

We need affordable housing in this country. Either to rent or to buy.
There are many many people who don't get HB or tax credits but can't get a mortgage. They are often privately renting and it's expensive and very insecure.

Thenapoleonofcrime · 15/04/2015 10:18

I am in the situation of privately renting an ex-council house for an absolutely extortionate amount (university town). My landlord actually went on to have a good buy-to-let career after she bought and let this property- she has purchased many others and let them out all over town.

I do feel a bit 'ugh' (at myself) when I talk with my dd's friend's mum who bought her similar property dirty cheap about 12 years ago and pays a couple of hundred on her mortgage where I pay five times as much.

I don't earn enough to save, so no chance of buying, but would never qualify for HA to buy either, I do feel a bit caught in the middle.

Apparently about 40% of sold council properties are privately rented like mine, this is a real loss to the public housing stock- for what?

Degustibusnonestdisputandem · 15/04/2015 10:21

Another private renter here, housing is one of the main reasons we will be emigrating.

OrlandoWoolf · 15/04/2015 10:21

thenapoleanofcrime

But have you done the right thing?
Are you a hard working family?

Cameron cares about you. You won't have to pay IHT on your property. You can buy your HA home.

Hang on a moment - no, you can't. Because Cameron doesn't understand. He's probably never had to worry about the security of a rental property.Except when he leaves No 10 in a few weeks.

BreakWindandFire · 15/04/2015 10:22

Last year there was a proposed amendment to the Consumer Protection Bill which would have outlawed letting agents charging private tenants fees as well as landlords, to bring England and Wales into line with Scotland. The Tories and Lib Dems voted it down. The most measly bit of protection for people in the private rental sector and they nixed it.

They've also argued against greater security of tenure, proper licensing for private landlords, better regulation of letting agents, and any sort of better protection for private tenants as they don't want to overburden BTL landlords with regulation.

I'm renting an ex-council property. My landlord is fine but he has over 70 ex Council flats in London and makes a small fortune charging far more than the Council rent. If this goes through he'll just massively increase his portfolio.

Mummybabyboo · 15/04/2015 11:36

Lucky? I am in a housing association home. I ended up here because after domestic violence for 5 years I ran when I was pregnant and he tried to kill my baby by hitting me in the stomach because I said no to an abortion. I always private rented and continued to do so for another 4years after leaving but then my landlord sold it and I had to leave. Because of the cuts in benefits and rise in rents no private landlord would even TALK to me despite having zero debt and 100% payment of rent. After being evicted through court by bailiffs (which I had to pay all fees for) and then living in B&B's and on friends sofa's with a 3 1/2 year old for 3 months. The council finally put me in a house miles away from my family, isolated and alone but can not afford to move back to my hometown that I lived in for 28 years and all my immediate family and friends are there. All this while battling a narcissistic psychopath in court and being treated like a lazy bum who doesn't deserve any help.
But I'm oh so lucky to be living in a house that isn't secure because they only offer fixed term tenancys here now, that isn't much cheaper because Tories don't want scum like me living in any area they consider to be "to good for me". I'm oh so lucky that I was ripped away from my family and friends and had to go through hell on earth alone!
Guess what... I'd GLADLY private rent to be where I want to be, I'd gladly give up this "secure" (for 4 more years) home to be near my family and the people I love. I would be so very happy to walk away from this home to delete all the awful stuff that's happened to me and my daughter. This house means nothing to me compared to my daughter having a bio dad that loves her more than life and stopped constantly using her to control me. But I can't because I'm "oh so lucky"

SoonToBeSix · 15/04/2015 11:40

Irrational I agree with most of your post. However HB isn't done kind of perk if someone is in receipt of HB they are in a worse financial position than yourself. Therefore I I don't understand why I would " spare a thought" for tokes not entitled.

SoonToBeSix · 15/04/2015 11:40

Those not tokes!!

SoonToBeSix · 15/04/2015 11:42

Also most families in receipt if HB work and have " done the right thing"

ElectraCute · 15/04/2015 11:44

See? Divide and rule.

It's just another way the Tories can set ordinary people against each other. Homeowners against council tenants. Private renters against those with a HA tenancy. And we'll all be so busy squabbling amongst ourselves that they can do what the fuck they like over our heads.

The housing market is screwed for millions of us. Millions. Don't let's start competing with one another as to who is more or less 'worthy' of having a secure, affordable home - we all are.