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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Corbyn's maths is wrong again

427 replies

Rebeccaslicker · 28/01/2018 12:48

www.google.co.uk/amp/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/28/jeremy-corbyn-announces-labour-will-buy-every-homeless-person/amp/

How is this going to work? Does he mean "give" as in legally transfer or does he mean no rent? How does he think the houses are going to be maintained and utility bills paid? Is it fair on people who've been on waiting lists? Is it really going to reduce the numbers of homeless people if it becomes seen as a quick way to skip the queue?

I got back to my car in an NCP the other night, to find 5 homeless people right next to it with foil and needles. They were also going through some wallets (which may well have been their own; I didn't stop to check of course). The state of them was very sad and although I did feel intimidated at first, I also didn't report them because I thought, where else would they go - it's chucking it down. But then again, no way would they be able to look after a house. They were like zombies.

He's absolutely right to want to do something about the homeless situation. There should be more lots more help. But I don't think this is the answer. AIBU?

OP posts:
Justanotherlurker · 28/01/2018 18:14

The Tories have done nothing but further distort the housing market.

Not quite true though is it, they have introduced many policies that will start the creep of treating BTL owners as a cash cow in the future.

If you think it's only Tory supporters who are NIMBY's or are against a true re-balance of the housing market then I'm afraid you need to go back to your momentum handbook.

Social housing is a very small slice of the problem.

Original poster
Rebeccaslicker · 28/01/2018 18:21

So far his cheque book is going to cover:

Renationalising the railways
Fixing the NHS
Extra policemen
Increased benefits

And now this. Imagine the cost of his other plan to allow councils to take over high value properties - nobody who owns one is going to take that lying down so there'll be huge legal fees no doubt. Then nobody will want to invest for fear of having it taken by the council so there'll be less tax raised and the developers won't build as much so there won't be as many jobs.... grand plan, Jeremy. Grand!

OP posts:
ForalltheSaints · 28/01/2018 18:22

Charities who work with the homeless and provide accommodation point out that this is never the end of the assistance a person needs when coming off living on the streets. Even if they have never been a drug or drink addict.

The proposal also does nothing for those who are hidden homeless, relying on so called sofa surfing or staying in unsuitable accommodation or remaining in a failed or violent relationship.

ShotsFired · 28/01/2018 18:25

@Rebeccaslicker So far his cheque book...

His cheque book is from the Bank of Moon on a Stick and Empty Platitudes.

Justanotherlurker · 28/01/2018 18:37

Increased benefits

The hilarious thing is that Momentum and his supporters have selective hearing.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/20/labour-manifesto-keep-planned-tory-benefit-cuts-resolution-foundation

Straight talking honest politics you see, not like anybody who has come before.

Caveat: Obviously I have been reading too much propaganda from the right wing media as I'm not a JC supporter

Kpo58 · 28/01/2018 18:47

So basically Corbyn needs to buy back all the homes sold under right to buy to try and get enough properties, but won't cancel right to buy so that they will all eventually be sold again (at a loss) and bought back at a future date at an inflated price...?

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 28/01/2018 18:51

I would have thought the increase in tax to the top tax earners would have covered building everyone homeless a home that will be fully staff so they have all the support they will need to deal with the drug/alcohol and mental health issues the majority suffer from

Justanotherlurker · 28/01/2018 18:56

So basically Corbyn needs to buy back all the homes sold under right to buy to try and get enough properties, but won't cancel right to buy so that they will all eventually be sold again (at a loss) and bought back at a future date at an inflated price...?

To be fair to corbyn, he didn't say he would give them a permanent home, its more buying up houses for temporary accomodation.

Pretty much a fudging numbers game that every government play, labour shipped all the homeless out to HMO's in dilapidated seaside towns and the tories are pretending the situation doesn't exist as it would fuel the UKIPers when addressed properly

LucilleBluth · 28/01/2018 18:58

He needs to go. I am a labour supporter , always have been... but I can't and won't vote for him. He's lumbering us with the Tories, we need a viable leader...god I miss Ed Milliband.

Dragongirl10 · 28/01/2018 19:00

OH good, we can sell our house, pay off our mortgage, go on the streets for a month and Mr Corbyn will buy us a house...perfect.

He really is a joke, another impossible promise he couldn't keep alongside the tuition fees debacle.

MrsRuby · 28/01/2018 21:30

So once again Labour set out the gist of a plan they are currently not responsible for and are lambasted yet the Tories, under whom homelessness has rocketed, make vague pledges to halve homelessness, with nothing set out as to how that will come about, and that’s ok?
Surely at some point, homeless people will need homes? Coupled with Labours other policy to increase house building I think either buying homes or building homes is the way to tackle homelessness. I’m sure there is a great need for further services to be applied, ie drug and alcohol programmes, mental health support etc. I wouldn’t hold my breath for the Tories to provide those though.

Julie8008 · 28/01/2018 21:41

I wonder if this is just London or will he will buy a mansion for every self declared homeless person in the UK?

I bet there will be millions of people self identifying as homeless if he ever becomes PM.

LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 28/01/2018 21:50

I really, really wish that the solutions to complex problems were as simple as Corbyn seems to think they are.

The80sweregreat · 28/01/2018 21:51

Not a Tory at all but
I wish labour could have a credible leader. JC isn’t thinking straight. Make him read mumsnet - some very good ideas on here from people who know what they are talking about. He clearly doesn’t!

anothernetter · 28/01/2018 21:53

He is one of the reasons I won't be voting Labour. He is a communist and he is totally bonkers.

anothernetter · 28/01/2018 21:56

Where will it end? Confiscating houses if they think it's too big for your family? Additional tax levies for certain home owners making it unaffordable to live in your own home so you have no option but to sell and downsize??

MrsRuby · 28/01/2018 22:02

anothernetter
Where will it end - with you clutching your pearls making up shite that isn’t happening?

The80sweregreat · 28/01/2018 22:04

Back of a fag packet with Diane Abbott on the calculator no doubt! Please let’s have a leadership contest soon and someone good with figures in charge ( get rid of McDonald too) with this crowd it’s s joke. The tories will be in power forever if labour doesn’t sort it out.

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 28/01/2018 22:07

A huge number of homeless people have serious mental and physical health issues, not to mention the addiction issues many have to boot. With all these homes he's promising to hand out is he going to issue each tenant with a mental health support worker as well?

Where are the jobs to sustain the tenancies going to come from?

How will he manage those who choose to live on the streets (of which there are many).

How will he manage the non-street homeless figures - which are huge at the moment. Or is he just concerned with cleaning up vagrancy stats in his leafy London borough?

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 28/01/2018 22:10

And who is going to give these people the life skills they need to live independently, budgeting skills, debt advice...

Magic money tree again...

Fekko · 28/01/2018 22:15

It does sound a bit like the Kidscape approach. A bit of money thrown at it will make it all right. But where is this money to come from and who will support these people?

I worked for a charity and we helped a number of local homeless hostels. I’d say most of the clients were high maintenance individuals who wouldn’t be able to cope with ‘here’s the keys to the new home, bye!’ There was addiction, mental illness, abuse, family breakdowns caused by violence/abuse/aggression, deep suspicion, crime, inability to manage on their own - very difficult to just give them a roof but not all the support necessary to help them safe.

Fekko · 28/01/2018 22:16

Sorry that should’ve been Kids Company.

cuttingcarbonemissions · 28/01/2018 22:18

I do not think Corbyn is naive or out of touch. I think he knows exactly what he is doing. And he calculates that sound bite politics - more money for the NHS, a house for everyone who is homeless, abolition of tuition fees - are going to win him huge numbers of votes. And he is absolutely right.
Nobody wants to hear complicated explanations about the causes of rough sleeping. We all want to hear that everything can be solved overnight by a transfer of money from the rich ( ie anyone with an income 20% higher than yours) to the poor (ie us).
And when the Tories mess up Brexit - which Corbyn supports and is partly responsible for- we will be faced with a General Election at which the choice will be an exhausted and divided Tory party led by Boris Johnson and a Momentum managed Labour Party led by Corbyn and Co. And that choice should make all sane people shudder.

The80sweregreat · 28/01/2018 22:21

So J C is going down the ‘populism’ route. Worked for Trump. I just hope people will see through all this. The thought of the tories getting back in makes me shudder too though! Can’t the more sanier labour MPs do something? They need a new leader. Soon.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 28/01/2018 22:29

The thread is about Jeremy Corbyn

So that is what I am going to comment on

Labour Party member just waiting it out until we have a credible leader answer Party that is worth voting for sadly can’t see that happening soon which is good for the Tories who are now level again with Labour