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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be fed up with the bad association people see to have with social housing?

233 replies

NoahVale · 25/04/2016 22:17

PEOPLE at work criticizing the new builds which, shock horror, also contain Social Housing
tales of people complaining that they are buying houses the same as those in social housing

and others putting down social housing residents. of which I am

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 25/04/2016 22:21

I live in an area that has one of the biggest social housing stock in the UK and I can't say I've come across this.

Some people are just twats.

makingmiracles · 25/04/2016 22:29

Don't shoot me for saying this (I'm a HA tenant too) but I think the problem lies in the fact people's largest purchase is usually their home and they want it to be as perfect as it can be, not all HA tenants are hard working families there are many out there that doss around, don't pay rent/get HB so don't care so much as private owners about the state of their house/garden/ behaviour of their children etc because they are not paying for it, conflict then occurs between HA tenants and private buyers.

I'm not sure what the answer is as you can't segregate people but I do think that maybe for new build estates where there is a a lot of HA mixed alongside private buyers that HA tenants should have had say 5 yrs of renting from their HA, problem free and paying rent on time etc to be allowed to move to a new build, that way the likelihood of problems would be much slimmer imo as those tenants should be a safe bet if they've proven themselves as good tenants over 5 yrs

Titsywoo · 25/04/2016 22:33

We have two houses on our street which are social housing. It came up on our survey as a negative point for selling. We didn't view it as an issue and it hasn't been. The only thing that bugs me is that both of these houses have their back gardens at the side and they are visible to the street. They are both dumping grounds with rubbish everywhere and they don't take care of them at all even though the council come and cut their hedges for them regularly.

Justanotherlurker · 25/04/2016 22:40

I agree with worra that some people are just twats, the uk psyche has over the past decade or more ment that your value and 'class' is depicted by your house price.

Empty vessels will shout for more social housing just as long as they are not in the local vicinity, and the more liberal type landlord will argue that they are providing a 'service' to those less fortunate without any sense of irony, let's not forget the double edged sword of immigration that these liberal types will be blind to any joined up thinking.

Everyone thinks it's someone else being the nimby, the fact that there is so much opposition shows it's not just the xenophobic/daily mail reader trope that the virtue signallers like to try and blame.

probably killed thread

Original poster
NoahVale · 25/04/2016 22:41

social housing doesnt automatically mean housing benefit Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
NoahVale · 25/04/2016 22:49

it spose it is just another form of Prejudice

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 25/04/2016 22:50

To be completely honest, my Dad has far more problems in his area due to the really high percentage of buy to let Landlords, who really don't give a shit about their properties.

I feel really sorry for some of the tenants in his street, who have to put up with front and back gardens piled high with rubbish, that doesn't even belong to them.

HelenaDove · 25/04/2016 22:51

Well making miracles maybe if HAs actually made it easier for tenants who work by actually turning up to things like gas safety appointments or repairs when they are supposed to maybe more tenents wouldnt be unemployed or have their employment put at risk.

Here is just one example but i can give MANY more!

From the Robert Heath Heating fb page.

Disgusted with this company I've been two weeks without heating and hot water with a three year old having to bath her at other people's houses along with myself my flat is freezing my child is I'll with a cough and cold .. First appointment the only engineer who is qualified for nibe units didn't start work till 4pm even though my appointment was the morning .. Then another appointment I got called into work my last appointment was booked tonight for 5-9pm I waited in to no one coming I ring to hear my appointment was passed to another company as there was no one qualified to deal with my heater tonight I wasn't informed of these changes .. Why book the appointments with no engineer working I'm now left without again I'm fuming and I will be going further with this publicly my child is poorly this was the only day I could do as I'm a single parent I work everyday to provide for her this is my day off hence why I needed this appointment ... Disgusting service hope you lot are nice and cosy with your heating and hot water whilst me and my child freeze !!!!!!!!

BirthdayBetty · 25/04/2016 22:56

New build estates have had a percentage of 'social housing' properties for many years. Agree with Worra some people are dicks.

gamerchick · 25/04/2016 22:58

i don't see much scorn on SH now, more jealousy that rents are reasonable and people should be hoofed out if they 'earn too much'. I'm SH and I've spent an absolute fortune improving the house and garden. But there are those who will take it away with a snarl whilst looking down on it probably. Bizarre.

HelenaDove · 25/04/2016 23:00

From the Swale Heating page.

Appalling service once again from yourselves! After having my annual Gas inspection cancelled by you on Wednesday, after I had arranged for someone to be there as I would be working, I then get a phone call an hour before they were due to cancel, I am now unable to rebook a convenient time when someone will be here until after you have an unsuccessful attempt and a card put through my door?! By that time you will then contact my houseing association to say you were unable to gain access, which I will then in turn receive a letter saying that if I dont comply with letting you in to inspect the Gas they will start eviction proceedings!! You would rather send someone out on a wild goose chase on Wednesday again rather than let me rebook? .... Really you are already running on a tight schedule as the last 2 incidents I have had with you I have had the need to complain on here? I will be notifying my housing association of how you run your business and hope they reconsider renewing the contract that they currently have with you!

gamerchick · 25/04/2016 23:00

There built a private estate nearby but the SH allocation is 20 units which are bungalows for over 55s only. I would have liked to see family SH homes tbh.

WorraLiberty · 25/04/2016 23:01

Yes I agree there's a lot of jealousy about.

Also in this area, there's a lot of people who assume (no proof at all) that newcomers to this country, are automatically jumping up the queue.

WorraLiberty · 25/04/2016 23:02

Helena those stories are awful but I'm not sure how they're relevant to the OP?

YelloRoses · 25/04/2016 23:02

What i find is people have this stereotype due to many HA or council tenants not respecting the homes, I suppose because they dont own it nor do they have to fix it.
I did buy a property in a new build housing block, when i first moved it was beautiful, first person to live in the flat, looked like it was only private owned then the HA tenants moved in and the doors were constantly broken, the parking barriers, trash over the floor because people werent locking the bin shed, pissing in the lift.
If you are on HB you dont care about paying service charges (not saying all HA are on benefits im just saying)
I finally sold up when two women were raped in my block.

So whilst you are some others do look after your properties and you are decent people its the people who arent and unfortunately they are the ones who spoil it for everyone else

TheNaze73 · 25/04/2016 23:03

I think they have a very narrow minded, cliched view, generalising like that. YANBU. Whether social housing should be life, once you have one or should be on a 10 year basis, when circumstances can be reassessed, is a different debate however, social housing for genuine needs, is there for a purpose. Are they angry they're subsidising it through their taxes? Is that their beef, that it's not comparable with market rates for private rents? I think their attitude stinks.

YelloRoses · 25/04/2016 23:05

Plus if HA and councils just booted people out who caused trouble rather than let them stay and terrorise everyone it would help with this stereotype and the housing crisis.
If someone rented off a private landlord and they were terrorising thier neighbors by being an inconsiderate arsewipe then the landlord would kick you to the curb but HA and council just allow it as long as they are being paid

makingmiracles · 25/04/2016 23:08

I know Noah, as I said, we are HA tenants and dp works ft so no benefits h/b here! Just saying there are a greater proportion of HA tenants on HB than private.

And I agree Helena, I'm lucky enough to be a sahm whilst dp works so can be home for appointments but I get your frustration-recently tried to reschedule gas check to be told they can only give 8.30-3.30 time slot and if I can't make any appts by end may they will take us to court and charge us £300!! Have had many times where I've waited in for repairs only for them not to turn up so would be livid if I worked and had taken time off.

From speaking to fellow HA friends thre seems to be a big difference in HAs, seems we got fairly lucky with ours in comparison to some of our friends.

gamerchick · 25/04/2016 23:09

meh they can shut their whinge when pay to stay comes in. I'll be first in line to get every single scrap of asbestos removed from every room in the house if I have to pay market rents.

gamerchick · 25/04/2016 23:11

In defence of our council mind I've never experienced the horrors of repairs or rescheduling anything. They've always been really good.

HelenaDove · 25/04/2016 23:12

They were in reply to making miracles who refferred to tenants as "dossing around"

Tenants who DO work are having their jobs put at risk, The tenant i copied and pasted at 22.51 works at Next. They arent exactly known for being sympathetic to workers in this kind of situation.

If this tenant loses her job due to her HA pratting her about no doubt the HA will still expect their rent and more ppl like making miracles will see her as a "dosser"

HelenaDove · 25/04/2016 23:15

EXACTLY They only want to do gas safety checks on Monday to Friday 9-5 and then say they want to put working tenants first.

Doesnt quite match up does it.

YY Gamerchick

WorraLiberty · 25/04/2016 23:17

Oh I see, yes I get what you're saying.

Some councils really are shit and some tenants really are shit too. But then again, so are many home owners and their offspring.

WorraLiberty · 25/04/2016 23:21

Actually the council/HA here are quite good.

You do have wait in all day for safety checks, but they do at least turn up. Also, any adult appointed by the tenant can be present, so they don't have to take a day off work.

There are a few horror stories on the local FB page, but then again people don't always tend to post when they're happy with their services, so it's obviously skewed.

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