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

[AyeAmarok]

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

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

Sorry you have had such a crap time mummy

I always worked and worked long hard hours as a nurse assistant on an emergency surgery ward in a hospital. I did shifts including nights and it was a very hard job but also amazing, helping people get well and watch them go home was amazing, watching people fade away, not so great. My life went to hell because I wanted to see the best in someone when there really was no good to be found. I suffered terribly for my horrendously poor ability to judge character and couldn't go back to my job with unsociable hours with a newborn infant and no help. I got help, spent time with the women's refuge, attended depression and anxiety courses, attended freedom programme. I have not only worked hard before my life went to hell but I have done everything I can to get my life back on track and get over this hell. But everywhere you turn as a HA tenant, single mum and benefit claimant are people telling you to do more, try harder, you aren't trying hard enough, get off your lazy butt, without even giving most of us a chance because the stereotype is we all chose our lives because it's "handed to us on a plate". It's so very far from true.

My life is much different now. I have a husband who is my hero. We don't claim benefits and we are expecting our second child together, we can't afford to buy, we can't afford to rent, but we will most likely be kicked out of here when they reasses us because we earn to much. We don't. There is no way we can afford to private rent and I have no idea what we will do.
You say HA tenants are lucky and to spare a thought for people like you. I say that you are lucky and to spare a thought for people who have been through a living hell.
We ALL need homes. But some people need a little extra help to get there home. Buying, renting, however the roof is over your head, be happy that there is one at all!

100% agree Electra. Propaganda, blaming and scapegoating the easy targets who can't defend themselves so that people ignore the real problem. Rich men taking from the poor to give to the rich.

Mummybabyboo, that is a terrible story. It's true that it's hard for me to empathize as I haven't been through anything quite so awful in my own life. I'm glad things are looking just a little better for you, now.

All I said was that Housing Association tenants are lucky to have security and to be paying affordable rent. Isn't that true? I didn't say that they - or you - shouldn't have either of those things - a secure home where we can build a life for ourselves is something we all need.

If your tenancy isn't secure despite being in a HA property then that just shows how terrible the housing situation in this country has become.

You say yourself that we should all be happy that there is a roof over our heads and I agree. In a way we are all lucky we aren't homeless. But what a thing to have to be thankful for, in a first world country! Why aren't we all housed decently, when we work so hard? Why is it even a question?

Of course you don't want to be kicked out of your home and forced into the dubious mercies of the private rental sector. I don't want to be renting privately at all. Millions of private renters have no choice but to claim housing benefit, or to pay over half their wages to the landlord. That's not a good situation for anyone but landlords.

Why aren't we building more Housing Association properties, with secure tenancies, so more people can be 'lucky'? Why are we proposing selling off the social housing that remains, never mind with massive discounts?

As I said, good luck to everyone. Getting a decent home in the UK is becoming harder all the time.

Exactly the point, shouldn't be about HA properties, council properties, rental properties! This is a not the issue, whether a house is sold to a family or is allocated to a family by HA/council, there is still a family living in it! There should be no need for social housing. ALL people should be able to afford housing regardless! House prices need to drop or pay need to rise. That should be what we are fighting for. I was reading an article about the rise in housing costs being the equivalent of a pint of milk now costing us £52. No way would we have tolerated that level of inflation on anything else but have allowed it in housing? We shouldn't be fighting to keep social housing, we should be fighting for fairer pay or house prices and building more houses for everyone, regardless of their circumstance.

When I heard this yesterday, I was appalled and bewildered that the headlines on all the papers seemed to make it out to be a good thing. I'm so relieved from reading all the other comments that I not alone.

We desperately need more social, secure housing for tenants, not to sell what precious little we do have off.

I swear if this bunch of sociopaths gets in again next month I'm off to Scotland

Don't let the door hit you on the way out

Aw shucks, out of all the posts on this whole thread, and you picked mine from more than 24 hours ago, rich. You big old flatterer, you.

Great argument btw. You nailed it. As always.

That did make me smile too ElectraCute.

Great argument btw. You nailed it. As always

Erm, I wasn't making an argument. Still, I wouldn't expect a lefty to have the intelligence to understand that.

Oh Rich.

When you have to resort to an ad hominem attack, you've failed to make your point.

I am someone who will benefit and feel on these forums people are too scared to defend the scheme
Nhs worker 1bed housing association flat in an area where house prices start at 200k
I missed out like many on getting a foot onto housing ladder- I developed bipolar disorder and had to leave a lucrative career
I've struggled ever since- financially; relationships; housing
Without this scheme I have no hope whatsoever of buying a home which is depressing aged 40- I acknowledge there are others in similar positions. I also acknowledge the sociodemographics of this forum and suspect quite a few outraged people have no idea what it's like to be in this position just like I have no idea how people amassed fortunes or jobs to buy the 750k houses on the estate I live on. I'm similarly educated and work just as hard but life chances and illness have not been kind.
Is it a fair scheme? Probably not however I ask has life been fair to me? I can tell you it has not. I can also tell you that my rent on my 1 bed housing association flat is more than the mortgage on my friends homes- how can that be right? I pay 450 a month- for 1 bed with a 20yr old kitchen, it's hardly cheap anymore. It's cheaper than private but in private I had mod cons and it was furnished. Housing association homes come as a shell- no flooring; cooker; kitchen appliances; curtain rails; curtains etc- the only thing they have is security.
This scheme is enough to confirm that I will vote conservative

I'm a life long Conservative voter and they've certainly lost my vote over this one. How dare they use my taxes to bribe housing association tennants to vote tory once and cash in.For every vote they pick up with this disaster of a policy they'll lose one from their core vote.

I pay 450 a month- for 1 bed with a 20yr old kitchen, it's hardly cheap anymore

Do you know what you can borrow at £450 a month on a mortgage?

£90,000 for 25 years at 3%

Can £90,000 buy much nowadays?

www.bbc.co.uk/homes/property/mortgagecalculator.shtml

And interest rates can go up as well as down.

And they are pretty low at the moment.

Agree with orlandowolf

It is a shit policy from a party I have never and will never vote for.

We rent privately, would never be eligible for HA housing. I am a teacher but in FE and my salary is about average. My husband's salary is below average.

Our rent is £750 a month fit a 2 bed flat. We have 2 DDs.

I have rented since I left university, here and abroad.

We are saving for a house deposit, it is taking a long time, I am in my 40s and on some days I wonder if we will ever save up enough. Do my girls have to never go on holiday/have days out/eat out so we can buy a property that we will spend the rest of our lives paying off? We have been saving for 3 years and have got £8,000. Before this, we did not earn enough to save.

I would be quite happy to live in a property that I could rent at a reasonable price that we could live in forever, I am not obsessed with buying a house but do wonder, if we don't, how we will afford to pay rent when we retire.

Irony is we both earn ok money and could afford a mortgage as we save £500 a month most months.

I never understand why people get envious of those in social housing. I live in SA and have lived in three different propertys. All have had nasty inconsiderate neighbours, the flats are in bad condition usually because they can never fix anything as its classed as "decorating", usually old bathrooms and kitchens as updates are 20yrs, looks like shit outside andbad sound installation.
I use to live on an estate were 2 teen girls were raped by two different tenants, others left trash on the floor so the foxes got it and there were flys everywhere, my old neighbour use to spy on me, steal my mail and purposely bang onthe floor to piss me off and council dont do anything about it.
A private landlord would boot them straight out!
And a house you wouldnt even get these issues.

Trust me social housing isnt great, its rare you get a decent neighbour.
if my circumstances were different in the past i wouldnt choose to live in it,i have no choice and im not going into why, its nobodys business.
I will buy my flat eventually because i can.
I think if they booted out more nuisence tenants which is like 90% then it would free up more houses even for others who arent vunerable just decent people who understand equilette and consideration

Fred, you say you live in SA. Trust me, it's a totally different situation in the UK.

I have been a home owner, I've been a private tenant and I am now a social housing tenant. I have lovely neighbours and feel very fortunate to have my home. It's the ONLY time my home has been on a secure basis, even the mortgaged home wasn't mine as it belonged to the bank until the mortgage could be paid off. It takes one job loss or a crisis for everything to fall apart and tnat home lost. Likewise in private renting you are at mercy of the landlord who in a heartbeat could decide to sell or give you notice. There are people who have moved several times as a result with all the upheaval that brings.

I was allocated my current home because my son is disabled. I am very grateful and fortunate to have this house. My son might always need to call this place home and with a secure tenancy he can do so. I'd like all who need this kind of tenancy to be able to get it. That won't happen if the Conservatives sell off yet more affordable housing,

I think Mummy has hit the nail on the head - it's an outrage that property prices (and rental) has gone up out of all proportion to wages. And we have all just accepted it! That's what should be addressed - everyone should be able to afford to have a home.

My central London house is worth £1m - it's a three bed terraced property. We bought it for £300k 15 years ago. I'm 'all right Jack' and then some - truly one of the 'lucky' ones.

But I do care very much about other people and there are so many people struggling. I understand the appeal of this bribe policy for some people but I think it's a terrible idea and I think the Tories are ruthless bastards who will NEVER get my vote.

I'm out of love with Labour too but I'll vote for them because at least they want a living wage, say they will build 200,000 homes a year by 2020 and end the Bedroom Tax and cap rent increases.

wheretherewasawill. You say you struggle financially, how will you save a deposit, find a lender and pay a mortgage? Genuine question.

Also what happens if your bipolar flares and you become too unwell to pay the mortgage?

As a social housing tenant you would get your rent paid.

As a home owner/mortgage holder you will lose your home. Trust me...been there and got the T-shirt....it takes ONE crisis.

This is why I WON'T vote Tory. They are trying to buy your vote, they don't give a shit if three years down the line you become too ill to pay your mortgage. You'll be out on the street and in need of social housing....but there won't be any because they sold it all off.

That's hiw crap this scheme is, people win ongoing health issues don't NEED to be home owners, they NEED security in their home. With social housing you have that security, with a mortgaged property you won't have it.

My MIl bought her council house for £22,000 back in the 80,0s remortgaged several times and then sold it for £220,000 ( big 4 bed with big garden semi detached type
Went to live with her partner in a different city for several years
Money all spent on holidays , redecorating partners house
Got ill / old retired split up with partner and got lovely 1 bed bungalow housing association in the same area
Personally I think that if you get a H/A council house and you sell and then need help again you shouldn't get it you had your chance ( like my MIL ) and then got another chance again

This could be done by use of NI number / passport and some sort of central register to prevent people like my MIL taking the piss

Why bother?

Just don't sell off the damn houses in the first place.

So much of the recent nonsense is like this. Huge over-complication to privatise or charge for a service, causing huge admin costs to police it, and then huge social cost for the inevitable failure cases (eg MIL being homeless in old age).

Where's the benefit in all this? And to whom?

Hippywhilst i get your point,i don't think its that simple. What if your made redundant and then have your ex council /HA house repossessed?
should they say 'you had your chance'