Social housing and Syrian Refugees

[Plentymoresharks]

Controversial one. A memo has gone out from the local council to local residents, asking whether anyone has a property they can offer for Syrian refugees, housing benefit will be paid as well as a premium and money to hold the property until it is occupied, money for decorating and repairing the property etc.

Aibu to find it ridiculous that basically the council will be housing refugees who have been flown around the world ahead of people already on the waiting list for social housing? Also, there are homeless people who I see every day, living in the park and under a car park bridge but they aren't getting this same help (the memo mentions the social and medical help the refugees will also be given).

Very controversial OP. I agree that the refugees should be housed where there is already housing available, not in areas where there is such a shortage of housing that the government has to offer large amounts of "extra" money to landlords to persuade them to house refugees.

I'm also a bit at the offer from the council to supply white goods and pay for the property to be refurbished / redecorated. Unless the council also offers the same for people already living here and in need of housing this would seem to be creating a two tier housing system with refugees being given much higher levels of support (by way of public money spent) than anyone else.

If war broke out in England, I'd go to Scotland I wouldn't then travel to France, Belgium, Germany and so on.

Not even if you had family or friends there who could help you out and house you etc? Besides which, I don't think anyone who hasn't experienced it can definitively say what they'd do if war broke out.

ignorant person I know who keeps posting 'the uk is full' no but London definitely is well and truly fully. The infrastructure is just not there, hospitals, gps, school are busting at the seams and can no longer cope.

What a warm, festive post.

These people have been through hell, children have died in the process and they're finally being offered homes and peeps are cross about it?

WTF??

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

If war broke out in England, I'd go to Scotland I wouldn't then travel to France, Belgium, Germany and so on.

I've heard reports that the refugees we are taking are being flown in from refugee camps in turkey, rather than those who have crossed Europe themselves, to discourage people from doing this.

PEOPLE BEING LOCATED HERE THROUGH THE RESETTLEMENT SCHEME ARE BEING FLOWB DIRECTLY IN FROM REFUGEE CAMPS IN SYRIA

Merry Christmas everyone

Seriously glad to see many compassionate people on this thread because I'm losing the will to say things over and over again. These people have nothing, they are fleeing war and torture beyond anything we can imagine. The UK is taking a tiny number compared to those in other countries in Europe. As another volunteer I would say 'open your eyes and look how small the world has become'. While everyone with a bomb chucks it at Syria, we all have a responsibility to look after those destroyed by this.

Ok, all the people saying that it's a good idea just wait until you live near a street where it's completely un-police able and out of control, where the locals are scared to go out for fear, yes the refugees need to be helped and I can't tell you what the solution is.

If you feel so strongly about it King perhaps you should offer to house a refugee family (or pay for them to be housed)?

I'm not sure what Christmas has got to do with anything?

Thing is it's always the poor people (ie the homeless, people in hostels, people who can't afford private renting) that are pushed out the way first and the ones that are affected the most. The same ones who will lose working benefits come April. It's no wonder issues like this create divisions.

But OP has a point about the homeless here. They are not treated as vulnerable and given this level of support and care. If we can do this for Syrians, we should do it for our own homeless people- our most vulnerable.

Let's be honest- this is a political sop to get the critics off Cameron's back. They don't want the Syrians here. But it shows there is money to do this stuff if they are so inclined.

It is shocking that basic humanity can be described as hand wringing with no apparent shame.

Kitten lots of people already living here have nothing too. As others have pointed out they don't seem to be eligible for the special treatment refugees now seem to be entitled to.

I would bet a lot of money that those banging on, sharing memes and starting threads like this haven't given a thought to the homeless until this happened.

OYBBK it's exhausting isn't it.

I agree they should be housed on a temotary basis. But why are They being housed in London. The most expensive city in the world. 90% of the British population can't afford to live there. It doesn't make any sense.

If we can do this for Syrians, we should do it for our own homeless people- our most vulnerable.

I don't think that people suggesting that Syrian refugees need to be housed are the ones arguing that less should be done for the homeless, to be fair.

I think popcorn has raised another, important issue.
We will have significant numbers of traumatised, angry and frustrated people living in the wrong country, probably living in low quality accommodation and with language and medical needs. I hope the government is prepared to put in significant amounts of money and resources to meet the needs of the real people that they are accepting.
Not the doe-eyed little moppets on the TV, but real people with real needs, warts and all.

It does cause a divide, how many posts do you see everyday on MN about funding being cut from this, that and the other? The NHS is at breaking point and when people see a thing like this, quite rightly, they go mad...what about the vunerable, what about people who have to wait months for life saving treatment who are told there's no money, it's not just the council paying for houses, it's schools, it's hospitals...

right ok fake grim northern cities?but you have a point there is a massive thread on here about social housing and how scarce it is in the south why bring even more people to the south when there is far more housing in the north?

while you feel sorry for those with children most you see on tv are young fit men .and the bit that really sickened me was when i saw one get off a boat take out his phone a take a selfie .sorry but we have a big push in my area of scotland for the food banks kids toys at christmas .so our own are struggling .the middle eastern countries dont seem to be bending over backwards to help .

I don't have a spare house. Otherwise I would...

If you don't have a spare house there's nothing to stop you digging into your own pocket to help out a refugee family King. After all refugees have nothing and you have much much more.

How many posters have lived in a middle eastern country? It would shock you to see what's 'normal' there and then you might see what it means for Syrians/whoever else to try any integrate in European countries

Yabu where are they supposed to go and if somebody has an empty property you have to ask why they dont have a tenant