To think it's fucking unfair for people like me who bust our arses off to buy a property...

[DamnCrazyWorld]

And all the while people who have practically the same type/ size of house and who are on a similar income as me in the same area are paying just a quarter of what I paid for because its a council property bought through the Right to Buy Scheme.

Should I have just got myself onto benefits and into a council property to get onto the property ladder?

It's madness. It really is.

[Badders123]

Sleep...exactly the point I was making earlier.
It's not rtb as such that's the issue.
It's not replacing the housing stock.

[UhtredOfBebbanburg]

Myotherusername - if it hadn't been clear that the SNP were going to win big in Scotland the Tories wouldn't have been able to use them as a Big Scary Thing to persuade voters in the rest of the U.K. To either vote for them or shore up the lib vote. The prospect of the SNP wielding influence over a hung parliament or even a minority labour government definitely cost labour some seats in the rest of the U.K. So yes I do think the scots who voted SNP knowing that it was a vote to keep the Tories in power need to take a long hard look at themselves. They shafted the rest of the country.

[AccidentalNameChange]

You do sound a bit like you are single parent bashing Badders.

Why not just say the same without reference to benefits or family structure?

[Badders123]

Sleep...I think you are exactly right. But I think that the loss of Scotland is something labour cannot come back from.
Just out of interest (and as a lifelong labour voter myself) what are your views in corbyn?
What do you think he will do (if anything) about the housing crisis?
Trouble is, everyone knows there is a housing crisis. But no one wants new estates built in their town!!

[DamnCrazyWorld]

For those if you who keep bringing up the subject of benefits i have addressed this in another post and yes I agree that I haven't worded it correctly.

I am in no way getting jealous and angry at those who have benefitted by the scheme. If I had the chance right now I would do the same in a shot. Of course I am envious of them but wouldn't you be too? We are human after all.

It's the whole social housing system that is so flawed and its that, that I am getting so angry about. I know lots of people who have very good jobs and lots of disposal income in social housing who have bought their homes. It's not them I have a problem with but the fact that this can happen.

I'm sorry about your situation Vatican but isnt social housing meant to help people like you. But it isn't because there are massive shortages due to the RTB scheme and people who are alot more financially better off than you are benefitting instead. I hope you find something soon.

[Badders123]

I'm really not.
Single parents are single for a variety of reasons and why should I judge?
I am simply telling you of the situation where my mum lives (I appreciate it won't be the same everywhere)
But I DO judge people who trash homes, have litter and white goods strewn gardens and who exhibit anti social behaviour.
Whatever their family structure.
It just didn't seem to happen years ago.
Or maybe people had a bit more self respect?
Who knows.

[mileend2bermondsey]

I 'really disagree' with people paying rent for years and having nothing to show for it.
Buying your rented house makes sense, particularly if your mortgage is also subsidised.

And what about us poor suckers private renting at a much higher cost?

[Badders123]

Tough...yep!
Same situation near me.
The "not in my back yard" syndrome.
In my village we recently had 1200 new homes built. However, we will not get the new primary school or Dr surgery we were promised.
I have no idea what the solution is btw.
I just know this whole situation is not sustainable.

[Roonerspism]

I do agree with your sentiments OP. One of the many groups shafted by the current government are people like you.

But RTB in itself is also utter madness. Why would we sell off council housing cheaply when there isn't enough to begin with?

[myotherusernameisbetter]

Uhtred whilst I hate the SNP, it's posts like yours that are complicit in swaying the Scottish people to vote for independence. With a population of less than London, it is somehow our fault that we have the Tories regardless? Have a word with yourself.

And I am not saying that people in private housing were not also living in poor conditions, but there seems to be this idea that the council houses being sold were some kind of nirvana. It t ok the ex tenants a lot of time and money to modernise them and that would never have happened otherwise.

[Daphnedolittle]

Completely agree with you OP. Right to buy is ridiculous. Reduces the amount of affordable housing for those in need and allows an advantaged few to buy at a huge discount and then sell it back into the private market in a few years time. Some of those living in social housing earn far more than those renting privately.
Those private renting like yourself lose out both in terms of higher rents whilst renting (potentially moving every year if landlord decides to sell) and then have to watch whilst others who have paid a lower rent for the same size house then get to buy at a reduced rate.
I would be livid too.

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

You're correct that right to buy is a travesty and that it's not fair. However the victims of the unfairness are not people who can afford to buy their own properties but those who can't - ever - and who are being fucked over by right to buy and the lack of affordable/social housing.

If you're in a fortunate position then bitterness about those who have less is unbecoming.

[3littlefrogs]

When I was a child growing up in the North East almost everyone I knew lived in council housing. The houses and estates were well kept, gardens tidy and well maintained. Allotments were popular and there was a great sense of community.

We need much, much more LA housing, available to more people. The right to buy scheme was/is a huge mistake. It has made the housing shortage much worse and created a divided and resentful society.

Everywhere I look in my local area (North London) there are luxury flats being built.

Nobody on an average income is going to be able to afford these flats - they will all be bought up by foreign investors and rented out at extortionate rates which will have to be subsidised by the tax payer via housing benefits. It is ridiculous.
I would much rather my taxes went on building more LA housing, and I would be willing to pay more tax if that could be guaranteed.

We bought our house over 20 years ago - we are still a long way from paying off the mortgage, but we wouldn't even come close to being able to afford a house in this area now.

[vaticancameos]

OP. Sorry if I was ranty. It was the first thing I read on here this morning as a distraction. I think with RTB there should be a middle ground somewhere. The housing situation in the city I was born, grew up and still live in is at crisis point. I can empathise how irritating and unfair it must be to you, but the flip side is not much fun either.

[Missymoomoo197936]

We are in a council house, we have not had a holiday in 11 years, and we live week to week, we will never be able to get on the property ladder unless by some miracle or eventually buying our council house, which doesn't look likely, and we both work, I'm part time.

[iamaboveandBeyond]

Havent rtft yet but just wanted to post a little tidbit from my life for the op

When i bought my 3 bed ex council house, i was actually paying LESS for a mortgage (£385 pm) than my neighbours were paying to rent (£125 pw). Which is precisely why i bought at 19 rather than renting. Even now, renting in the same area, i pay only £30 more a month than council tenants.

[Moomintroll85]

I don't agree with the RTB scheme at all but I am not angry at those who have got a house out of it, who can blame them really.

Myself and my DP have always worked hard but we're stuck in private rented, not likely to be able to buy ever anytime soon as we can't save and would be waiting 8 years+ for housing round here. What I'm trying to say is plenty of people also 'bust their asses' as you put it, working hard all their lives and still will not ever be able to afford a secure home of their own.

[mrstweefromtweesville]

And what about us poor suckers private renting at a much higher cost
Where are you going with that one? You save up a deposit, you buy. It will be cheaper long term. Do you want me to be sorry for you?

Its hard to save up when you are paying rent. Young couples used to do the saving up before the wedding, while they were still living with their parents, then get a mortgage, marry and move in together. It worked quite well.

[CatEyeFlick]

i do understand your frustration OP

but its the property market and housing situation that is unfair, you cant blame people for taking a more affordable option to buy a house

the government doesn't replace housing stock depleted by RTB. THAT is unfair

there is not enough social housing as it is, if there was a LOT more it would cool the market make houses more affordable both to rent and buy

ps as others have said, you don't have to be on benefits to live in a council house, I do and dh and I both work and always have

[AccidentalNameChange]

Its hard to save up when you are paying rent. Young couples used to do the saving up before the wedding, while they were still living with their parents, then get a mortgage, marry and move in together. It worked quite well.

Loving the NN MrsTwee When are you posting from?

[reddysteddy]

very unfair

[sleepyelectricsheep]

FFS

"I do think the scots who voted SNP knowing that it was a vote to keep the Tories in power need to take a long hard look at themselves."

It is this kind of thinking that has been turning people off the Labour party in droves. How dare you point the finger at the Scots for not voting tactically - and against their best interests given Labour's recent record in Scotland - so that they could bail us out down south.

Labour needs to look at what it can do better not blame the Scots!

Electing Jeremy Corbyn and generally embracing politics of principle rather than soundbites is a significant step in the right direction IMO.

[sleepyelectricsheep]

"Just out of interest (and as a lifelong labour voter myself) what are your views in corbyn?
What do you think he will do (if anything) about the housing crisis?"

I hope he gets in, and I hope he starts a large program of building council housing. It would be an investment for the tax payer, and would benefit society as a whole massively.

I don't know what his policy is on this,.but it's what i'm hoping for. If we're serious about tackling the housing crisis it's the only think I can think of that makes sense.

I joined the Labour party last week incidentally, as I want to help Corbyn win in 2020. Or if he doesn't win, at least help him to start building a social movement which is bringing the next generation into politics.