to ask what you think about Corbyn and Lammy's suggestion that houses of the rich should be requisitioned to give to homeless Grenfell victims?

[nutter19]

I am not sure what to think about it. On the one hand I agree that there are a lot of very big houses in the borough that are empty and could be used to house the homeless rather than left empty.

On the other hand, it seems a bit sinister to think they would just take private property off those they deem rich.

What do other people think?

you can`t just "requisition" other people's homes We are not talking about homes though - we are talking about properties that nobody lives in, often belonging to foreign investors who have no intention of living there, bought as an investment of the type that has driven up prices in central London to the point that only foreign investors can afford them.

Oh yes, how awful for the property market.

You'd think we never managed to survive 20-30 years ago when property in London was actually owned by... erm, Londoners.

But Lilian, the minute you even threaten to rescind property rights you will see a tidal wave of selling which will reverberate around the entire UK property market, leaving a lot of people in negative equity.....

The quote mentioned landbanking,

That isn't to do with non-doms leaving empty homes.

It's to do with developers manipulating the market by holding on to land/homes.

I think it would be possible to squeeze corporate owned homes. It's not the same thing as grabbing a private persons property.

NOBODY IS RESCINDING PROPERTY RIGHTS. THE LAWS EXIST ALREADY TO KICK PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES IF THEY NEED THE LAND OR PROPERTY.

Fucking hell. Good job you lot weren't around in the war isn't it? We'd have lost!

Are people really suggesting those effected should be moved out the area or left homeless while this happening?

What is wrong with you all?

So Corbyn would pay market rate for these 'luxury' houses just to house 1 family in each? Plus any cost of acquiring and moving to a new property. Plus costs of professional advice regarding compensation. Plus costs of solicitors and surveyors. And sometimes additional payments.

I wonder if some investors will be rubbing their hands are such state handouts Why is Corbyn always wanting to give away other peoples money, to people who are already well off.

Maybe a better solution would be to use that money to build a few thousand houses elsewhere.

I'm quite surprised, if the cladding was at fault for spreading the fire, that it passed building regulations and if it didn't require building regs, why not?

With regards to empty homes, I believe the council have the powers to insist landlords bring them up to a habitable state within a certain time limit or sell them. Seems perverse that there are thousands of empty properties up and down the country, yet we're in a housing crisis!

The naivete on these threads is astounding. The government already has the right to requisition houses, and not just in emergencies.

Compulsory purchase order anyone?

But they only do it to help businesses not poor people.

^I wonder if some investors will be rubbing their hands are such state handouts Why is Corbyn always wanting to give away other peoples money, to people who are already well off.

Maybe a better solution would be to use that money to build a few thousand houses elsewhere.^

House builders aren't well off?

I honestly cannot believe people are suggesting moving those poor families away from their home when there are 1339 long term empty properties in Kensington and Chelsea.

I despair of humanity sometimes.

JamieXeed74

You're not the brightest, are you?

I doubt many of those effected would care if (for example) two families were put in an 8 bedroomed house.

There are also plenty of empty flats and smaller homes in Kensington/Chelsea.

You seem to think we don't have the money to help people, when we absolutely do. In the long run, it would be cheaper to house people in these empty properties temporarily - and pay fair market rent to the owners - than it would housing them in hotels and B&Bs.

They've already said today it will take years to rehouse everyone and most won't be rehoused in the area. Do you not think that's disgraceful in an area of so many empty houses?

Of course, it's something many parts of London have been doing for years - pricing the working class and poor out of the area, and turning it into a millionaire's playground.

I would imagine that if you can afford to buy a property outright in central London and leave it empty, a few grand a year in council tax won't be an issue. Especially in places like Westminster where even top band is only £1300 a year.

Houses get requisitioned all the time, but I suppose it is only communist if it is to house the victims of a major crime, whereas if it is for a road, great.

Thank you for that link MotherofBleach - it perfectly illustrates the point I was trying to make, that these are not homes which Jeremy Corbin is talking about requisitioning, but houses which are being bought to lie empty. If it leads to a fall in property prices then bring it on - especially if that stops foreign investors (the majority of whom don't pay tax here) parking their money here and pricing people who actually want to buy a home to live in out of the market.

Theoretically they need to find housing for 120 families. London is a huge city I'm sure the families will be priorities and accommodated. Sadly it may not be that close to c&k.

The OP talks about "a lot of big houses in the borough" lying empty, but in actual fact it is not so much the big houses, but hundreds of flats. £1 million doesn't buy you much in Kensington and Chelsea - yes there are mansion owned by oligarchs, but many of these empty properties are quite ordinary flats in mansion blocks which sell for millions because the market is completely skewed by foreign investors. I can't believe people aren't more incensed by the fact that people who actually live in this country can't afford to buy property here because foreign non-dom millionaires are pricing them out of the market. So many people queue up to moan about immigration, but this is the real scandal - not people who move here to do useful jobs for our economy and contribute to society, but people who DON'T move here and take over our housing stock.

Well said, Lillian!

Once you start requisitioning property where do you stop?

Do people understand that actually the government has the right NOW to buy your house off you, and it often does. What's the difference?

I think it is terrible to use houses as a profit making commodity. Especially with no intent to actually live in the country.

So obviously I think this is a great idea....and it should be rolled out more generally.

I can't believe people aren't more incensed by the fact that people who actually live in this country can't afford to buy property here because foreign non-dom millionaires are pricing them out of the market

That's because they've been told it's the other end of the spectrum - refugees and immigrants that are to blame ...

No, titchy, they don't understand, no matter how many different posters make the same point.

It's the start of a slippery slope, a slippery slope I tell thee towards equality

Next thing you know, Corbyn will talking about investing in education and health. Honestly, I don't know why people can't see how dangerous this pacifist man is.

Education and health?!!!!! 😱 Nooooo where will this madness end?!

I haven't read all the thread but I have voted for labour all my life but I am not happy with the Labour Party at the moment . It seems like they are trying to divide us even more . It does seem sinister to start talking about housing them in other people's properties .
They seem to want to get into power at any cost and that cost is dividing people rich / poor etc .
What is horrible about all this is that they were trying to make the flats look better rather than making them more habitable and safer . Says a lot about our capitalist society really doesn't it but I don't want a communist state either !

London is a huge city I'm sure the families will be priorities and accommodated. Sadly it may not be that close to c&k.
You do know there's a housing shortage? A crisis?
You do know the children will need school places?
You do know they maybe have jobs to get to?
You do know that right now they need support and comfort rather than being set down isolated in a b&b in a part of the city they don't know?

kerstina read the thread. These powers exist and are used daily by councils already. This is not some radical property grab.