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Original poster

To say there is a stigma attached to social housing?

147 replies

longwayoff · 19/09/2018 10:23

Yes there is and its come about through the pretty much wholesale flogging off of social housing stock. Can Mrs May fix it as ago she says she will? Or is this simply early electioneering?

OP posts:
dinkydonky · 19/09/2018 10:52

Not where I live, they are like gold dust. Desired not stigmatised. And as so many ex-council flats are now privately owned I don't know how people are meant to know who owns their flat, who rents privately and who is a council tenant anyway!

KlutzyDraconequus · 19/09/2018 10:54

I'm social housing.
The only stigma I've found is from women on online dating sites.

Tomatoesrock · 19/09/2018 11:00

It is sneered it here, I grew up in a private house, all my siblings and the majority of my family own their own homes. I rent and the only way I won't be private renting is when if I get social housing.

I often hear the them vs us remarks. We live in an area where there is a few social housing estates chucked together, then lots of private estates. There is lots more anti social behaviour in the social housing estates so they are judged as a whole harshly.

KC225 · 19/09/2018 11:05

I remember going to an interview about 20 years ago and the interviewer asked where I lived. When I replied she shrieked 'Not the council end'. I swallowed and nodded yes. The older me would told her to stick her poxy admin job up her snobby starfish

Original poster
longwayoff · 19/09/2018 11:34

What screwed up times we live in. My ex neighbour stood outside his bought and paid for, massive discount, ex council house, complaining to me that his 18 year old single mother daughter hadn't been given a council flat. No sense of irony at all. I grew up in a council owned house but it was a large semi on an ordinary road so I was completely unaware of this stigma until I moved to a council flat on an estate. The change in attitude to me from potential employers, my new gp, various local authority folk, was eye opening. I'd slipped a class from being people like them to being not.like them. All from a change of address.

OP posts:
WhirlyGigWhirlyGig · 19/09/2018 11:36

There is a stigma but I don't know why half the time. We live on a mixed estate, a couple of HA houses in our street and it's the bastarding new owners of the huge detached house at the end of our road that are anti social. Christ they really give me the rage thinking they're all that but allow their dogs to cavort around the street causing mayhem.

I'm hoping May can help to turn this around. A very new estate near me is also mixed and the HA houses are indistinguishable from the private ones, they are all lovely and I'd love to move there but they're many £££'s.

Amanduh · 19/09/2018 11:36

Yes there is, overall, in our society.

araiwa · 19/09/2018 11:38

Of course there is

Nissemand · 19/09/2018 11:43

I really don't think there is anymore.

Private renters are at the bottom of the pile.

Social housing tenants get to contribute to their community, they know they'll be there for as long as they want, and they engage with their neighbours on that premise.

Private renters have two months notice at best, and are considered inconsequential wherever they are.

In addition to being thought of as not having tried hard enough, despite most private rents being hundreds of pounds above mortgage levels.

Fireworks91 · 19/09/2018 11:45

Yes there is, IMO. Wrongly of course.

Where we are there is a massive shortage, I have friends who have been on the list for years. Growing up I didn't know anyone who lived in social housing, and bar this couple waiting I still don't really.

Tomatoesrock · 19/09/2018 14:29

Nissemand I don't know about that, with private renting you can rent in a quiet area, someone won't knock on your door over DC and batter you, most of the neighbours appreciate tidy renters. I personally pray I win the lotto as some of the social housing estates are filled with violence rubbish, robbed cars, drugs well the ones around here are. Obviously there are great people too, but all the anti social behavior would have me living on my nerves.

HelenaDove · 19/09/2018 15:01

Yes there is and a lot of it is coming from some of those who work in the housing sector.

There is also a lot of bullying of tenants going on. We have experienced a get rid of or we will destroy attitude towards DHS mobility scooter.

And todays Grenfell news.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/sep/19/grenfell-tower-area-residents-told-return-home-or-lose-council-tenancies?CMP=share_btn_tw

MondayImInLove · 19/09/2018 15:05

Yes there is a stigma.
Social housing or any benefit fwiw mean that we can’t support ourselves without the help of the state (I say this in a factual way, not judgmental). So someone who doesn’t receive/need this help might look differently at someone who does: I can support myself and you can’t.
And/or jealousy also possibly.

HelenaDove · 19/09/2018 15:06

Tomatos The lovely tenant who lived below us sadly died last year.

We now have someone living below us who smokes that really strong skunk.

But im not stupid enough to think "oh all tenants are like that"

In fact i can see why HAs are doing this Because when it comes to knocking buildings down and regeneration etc IF an estate is seen as a ghetto or perceived as a "no go area" there will be no public or media support for those who live there who are about to lose their homes.

The general public need to start thinking more critically about why these sorts of things are happening.

Its to make regeneration and social cleansing either and to remove any social conscience from this.

SoyDora · 19/09/2018 15:09

I have no idea who lives in social housing and who doesn’t, how would you know? The council houses in my village are mainly all privately owned now, I assume there is some other social housing but I don’t know where (and have never cared enough to find out).
So no stigma here Smile

Motherhood101Fail · 19/09/2018 15:21

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

YeTalkShiteHen · 19/09/2018 15:23

There absolutely is. You only have to read the threads on here where someone is asking for advice about SH and the awful slating they get.

I don’t think it’s fair to blame buyers of RTB properties. I think it’s the successive governments who haven’t filled the gap!

Magicroundabout321 · 19/09/2018 15:28

The UK is a very class-conscious society. There are even more extreme places for that though, like India. Stigma is bad whatever it's about.

I think whether it's stigmatised or not depends on the social housing itself: there are places where you feel safe, families round and about, but then other more 'scary' estates where you don't feel so safe.

I'd never make a comment to anyone about them living in council or other housing. It just isn't something I care about - it's the individual that matters.

Idontevencareanymore · 19/09/2018 15:42

In my city a council house is highly desired and sought after, no stigma here. In fact if you have one you're considered 3xtremely lucky!

I own an ex council property, I'm in a block of 15 and 4 owners. We didn't buy it from the council.
Growing up on a council estate, it was unheard of to buy. I'm sure 25 years later the majority are now ex council.

Pinkshadow · 19/09/2018 16:23

I think there is.

Unfortunately on our estate (new build) the social housing tenants haven’t looked after their properties and there are a lot of problems (police often there etc.)

I think when people are looking to buy a house (a new build for example) it is quite common to avoid buying directly next to socially rented properties. Most people probably don’t admit this, but it’s true.

jarhead123 · 19/09/2018 16:25

100% yes. I only have one friend, probably more an acquaintance who lives in social housing & I'm pretty sure she doesn't like everyone to know

Bombardier25966 · 19/09/2018 16:35

I'm hoping May can help to turn this around.

Given the way her government treats those in need of assistance, and the continuing cuts to public services, do you believe this sudden announcement is genuine?

More likely it's early electioneering, and/ or a smoke screen for the mess that is Brexit.

YeTalkShiteHen · 19/09/2018 16:43

Bombardier25966 absolutely agree. Why now?

Bombardier25966 · 19/09/2018 16:43

Yes, there's definitely a stigma. In my town there is a development being marketed as having no social housing on it, it's seen as a positive selling point. The developers get around it by allocating more social housing in a less desirable area (different town, same council).

Chanelprincess · 19/09/2018 16:45

Social housing tenants get to contribute to their community, they know they'll be there for as long as they want, and they engage with their neighbours on that premise.
Private renters have two months notice at best, and are considered inconsequential wherever they are.

We never consider any of our tenants to be 'inconsequential'. Over the years, we've had several long-term tenants who have made a positive contribution to the area where they live in one way or another, and were popular with their neighbours.

Sadly, social housing is highly stigmatised where I live, but levels of home ownership are very high and private rentals are low.