Housing help

[Love29]

Long story I have been on the Council list (Basildon) bidding for the last 3 years to get me and my son our own place, I've now gone down as homeless and am currently in a hostel waiting for temporary acc. Once in my temp place I will continue to bid on a perm place but will be in a higher band, my fear is that I have to put 2 bids in and if there's a week where not so nice places come up ie 6th floor flat rough area, no garden arc comes up and I don't bid the Council will now put bids in for me. I know I should be grateful for any where but I still have the right to a home that I would like as I've been able to chose what I've bid on for the last 3 years so has any one been in this situation what's the chances I'll get the properties I bid on over getting one they bid on for me

We were comparing security - not the advantages/disadvantages

OP wants security in a life long council tenancy -

Doesn't exist is council private renting or mortgage

It actually says in the op that's she's worried she won't get a garden.

greentulips ok just security

Your mortgage company can't evict you with 8 weeks notice and no clue before.

You decide to stop paying or can't pay they work with you to keep the house or its at least 6 months before court. If you can secure a sale you'll get longer whilst it goes through.

If you keep paying for 25 years they can't kick you out

If you keep paying for 25 years they 'give' it to you and you never have to pay a bean to them again. So you can stay as long as you chose

Vs

Eviction with 8 weeks notice despite paying every month.

No landlord will give you a 25 year tenancy
Let alone an option to keep it at the end of that term.

If I stop paying my rent the landlord takes me to court I can't even get housed by the council as I've intentionally made myself homeless.

There's actually nothing comparable in the two situations.

Ok

Let's look at the elderly homeowners

Can't afford to replace the boiler?
Can afford double glazing?
Can't afford heating/damp?
Need repairs to the roof?

You see plenty of wrecked homes because they can't afford to replace things so make do.

And then if your lucky - you can sell your hard worked for home to pay nursing home fees

It's not the bed or roses you're making it out to be

All types of housing has pros and cons.
Private rental the pro is choosing the type of property and the area its in. The con is its someone elses owned property with less long term security.
The pro of council/social housing is secure long term tennancy, the con is massive competition with ten times as many families as there are properties and more added all the time who may out prioritise you.

Youve spent 3 years picking and choosing just the best properties and not won any, presumably meaning youve never been the most in need or youre bidding on properties considered to be beyond your needs. Eg places with gardens only, more than 2 bedrooms, houses rather than flats when bigger families need the more spacious properties etc.
You come across as if you CAN afford to private rent but want council despite not needing it like many others actually do. It also comes across as though you tried to jump the queue by changing your priority by becoming homeless thinking this will push you to the top of the list, BUT specifically to force them to give you one of the types of property youve spent 3 years bidding on.
Youve now found that the pro of emergency accomodation/homelessness is getting permanently housed quickly, with the con that you dont get the luxury of time and choice over properties and one suitable (in terms of # of bedrooms and being fit to live in) can be chosen for you.

You wanted the pros of ALL 3 situations, with none of the cons, and have found out the hard way it doesnt work like that. The dog probably isnt helping your position either, you could well have been passed over on houses youve bid on because even council housing can be strict on pets.

greentulips no it's not a bed of roses, but it's yours and it gives you choices

My old rental had leaky roof, broken boiler, damp up the walls etc etc. I fixed them. Not the landlord he didn't care. He's sold it now in that condition. Pocketed the cash the increase in value whilst we rented it has been massive despite its decline (and our best efforts to stop that).

It's choices, and equity. We have neither.

It's more than an advantage for your kids to be able to go to and stay at the same primary not have to move because you've been priced out an area. Or know they will go to x secondary when they leave. Those are just basics

How many funded care home places and adequate housing association places do you think there will be for the entire generation rent?

If I was genuinely homeless I would take anything offered to me.

Just bringing it down to security not adequate housing etc
Keep paying your mortgage your safe.
Keep paying your rent your not

I was placed forcibly into a private rent when I was classed as homeless. 2 year tenancy, studio flat with 2dc, centre of town with no outdoor space at all. Its shit but I'm thankful to get out of temp accom and have a roof over my head!

There's no way I would choose renting over a mortgage - even a mortgaged property gives much more security than renting.

I can't believe you'd rather be in a hostel with your DS whilst waiting for a decent council property then rent privately.

I know I derailed massively.
But my council won't give you an option if you can be housed privately you will.

Green Tulips I was talking to DH about this thread Hes 67 so hes a pensioner himself. We live in a social housing flat as ive already stated.

Re. your comment on homeowners. DHs words were "if you are getting a mortgage and you cant afford things like boiler insurance and other insurances then you cant afford the mortgage. Its hardly the fault of tenants that people are overstretching themselves with mortgages they cant afford or scrimping on things like boiler insurance while crossing their fingers and hoping it will be ok and nothing will go wrong"

YY Kick The disruption of childrens education due to constant house moves is an important issue.

They will be some of the people posting on MN in 10 to 20 years time about being in low paid jobs and they will likely get some on here telling them they are not trying hard enough.

While we would all like to live in a property in our preferred location, unless you can afford to do so yourself, really, I don't think you have a leg to stand on.
We live where we can afford to live using various parameters that are important to us eg location within the constraints of budget.
It sounds harsh but given that you are entirely dependent on the state for your accomodation, I don't think you are in much of a position to pick and choose.

Yes I would rather not private let too, but you know, needs must

I understand what your saying in boiler insurance etc

What about needing new windows? Pension doesn't cover the heating bills? They may be living rent free but not necessarily have enough to repair a roof, or put a new system in.

These would be covered as basics in a rented property - if you have a decent landlord

I appreciate there are some serious tips out there - but not all

The only way you'd have true security is if you win the lottery

But in your scenario the pensioner could downsize. They are trying to protect an inheritance for their kids, I get that. I genuinely do.

But my kids aren't getting anything from me despite paying out the same amount If not more on rent.
The Whole situation is broken.

A pensioner can borrow on their home which is likely worth around at least 400% more than what they've paid for it.

Mind, I don't really know why I'm bothering to reply to someone who thinks that having a mortgage is the same as renting from a landlord, at market value, with only two months' guaranteed right of occupancy, forever.

I think it's shocking that you can be evicted so quickly when you rent, especially when you have children. I don't understand when everything went so wrong, pre 2010 there wasn't a shortage of homes. 😞 Poor families, everyone should have a home.

Years ago I lived in a council flat in a town, made it my own and loved it until I was broken into by someone in the same block. I didn't want to live there anymore as I didn't feel safe but the council were in no way responsible for rehoming me in a hurry so I went back on the list.

I knew I wanted back in a village but know council houses in villages around here are very scarce so I realised my only option was to private rent to get the area and house I wanted and so here I am 6 years later although I realise I am lucky to have got long term let.

It's needs must and I realised I'd have to fund it myself if I wanted to live In a specific place with a garden etc

OP you should watch last nights 'how to get a council house' on catch up. There was a woman in a similar position to you. The Council took the view that as she was homeless then she should take whatever suitable property was available and couldn't be picky. She ended up in a flat that she really didn't want but the Council said that if she didn't take it then they wouldn't offer her anything else.
It might be worth reconsidering a private rent. I have rented privately for years and haven't been forced to move around by any LL. I was in my last private rent for 5 years before I chose to move to my current home. I live in a lovely house, in a lovely street and the LL has let me have ddog here as well. I am hoping to stay here for many years.
I used to have a council house but hated it and never felt settled so I chose to private rent where I could be picky about where I lived.

OP, I've been in a similar position to you, in my borough you can bid on one property a week, council only bid for you if you don't use your bid iirc, so I just made sure I always bid even if it wasn't in my preferred location.

We got given a place that I had bidded on last november.
It's not perfect, it has an inconveniant layout, split level with front door upstairs next to children's rooms & mine downstairs next to kitchen, daughter's room is TINY & no outside space at all BUT otherwise good sized rooms, really convenient for shops, park less than a minute walk down the road & most importantly, close enough that my children didn't have to change schools.

There's always compromises to be made.

& as a side note for those that were wondering, I pay full rent & council tax (with single person discount) but that's still considerably less than private. My full rent for a 3 bedroom flat is less than a privately rented studio.

Also, I'm on an introductory tenancy at the moment but when the year's term is up it will become a secure tenancy, though these are being phased out. This is in a high demand area of London btw.