AIBU to be worried about social housing?

[thegreenlight]

Have found our dream home on a new estate - looks out over green to the front. Lovely lay out, super excited. However, we went to look at the one we wanted to reserve (80% finished) to find that half the garden backs onto a small row of 3 social rent houses. I feel awful to be worried abou this but I am! The other houses it backs onto are small private houses. I now don’t know what to do. I don’t want to make the wrong choice for our family. What if there’s trouble? It’s seriously making me reconsider. There isn’t much social housing on the estate (minimum amount I guess) does anyone have any experience?

I understand your reservations OP.
I have been in a similar, very similar situation.
We found a dream home, then realized there was a lot of social housing on the same estate.
Bought it anyway and regretted it.
Moved to a different estate with the same mix and it was better but now we don’t live there either and I’m glad.
For me it wasn’t about feeling unsafe it was the lack of respect for property, not taking care of gardens, boundAries etc, noise at night, especially in the summer.
I don’t put this down exclusively for the housing being social. But it is definitely my experience.

What makes you different from those living in social housing OP?

MrsGarethSouthgate: people will object because they will have watched the Channel 5 benefit shit and think all social housing tenants are scum.

Wow.. what a dick thing to say..

Social housing stigma at its finest.

My mother's a teacher... lives in social housing.

My partner and I work for the emergency services. We live in social housing.

My friend is a nurse... lives in social housing.

Clearly we all have different reasons for why we haven't been able to buy our own properties. But at least we're not judgemental fools so that's something I guess .

On our estate (new build) the only problem we’ve had has been with ONE housing association flat and we have a fair mixture of private/social housing. One flat in the great scheme of things is nothing, you could have an arsehole in a mansion who owns it outright and not be able to do a thing about it.

Would it be enough to put me off my dream home? No it wouldn’t.

I’d avoid it tbh. New builds are also shit as well. No, not everyone in social housing are deviant. I myself grew up on a council estate but let’s face it, there’s more chance they will be shitty neighbours. Why take the risk.

Councils and housing associations are usually decent at dealing with problems if there are any.

We bought a house opposite council housing, we walk through an estate to get to school, it’s fine. (Though I grew up on several council estates so maybe I’m biased.)

Best thing OP is to remember that people are just people anywhere. Everyone is just trying to get along as best they can.

If the social tenants are being a nuisance then at least the HA will help even evicting if it’s really bad. You don’t get that kind of help with nuisance private houses.

Hmm I think you will find that arseholes live in both private housing and social. At least with social housing they could be removed. If they own it you are screwed.

Social housing tenant/resident all my life here, sometimes on estates, sometimes not.

Don't buy it.

Thinking about it, there’s a sizeable new estate being built nearby. The builders have managed to wriggle out of providing any social housing because they successfully argued they are obliged to allocate 10% of what they build nationally to social housing. I wouldn’t want to give the fuckers my money and am disgusted the council allowed it as our city desperately needs more.

As someone who grew up in a council house ... it’s nice to know what people really think. What an arsehole you sound. A new build house? Oh dear.

I'd check the crime stats for the area and ask around if you have any local friends. Also visit the street at night to see how safe it feels (I'd do this for any area, social housing or not).

I live in a cul de sac which is completely social housing. There is one house which is a bit of a mess, but the whole street is beautifully kept, lots of well maintained gardens, the kids play out the front. It’s really lovely.
You need to have a think about why you think social housing is a bad thing. I live here because I have no money, not because I’m a scumbag!

Wow...

What makes you think that people in social housing will cause you problems but private residents won't?

Personally I wouldn't because we had problems when we lived next door to a council house, maybe we were just unlucky but we had the stereotypical problem tenants and did after 2 years get them evicted (aggressive pit ball type dog never walked barking at kids in garden, chain smoking pot in the garden, rows at 2am, drunken loud parties ... it was like out of a soap opera!

And I should add, the private rentals down the road have the police there regularly, and cause far more trouble than our lovely little social estate.

You're ignorant.

Seriously?

@LipstickforFish

There are no guarantees either way, but it's much likelier that an owner-occupier will take better care of her property, have a more settled family situation, job, reputation to maintain etc. It's just a fact of life.

Housing Association tenant here.
The majority of us don't cause trouble for our neighbours believe it or not,there's a high chance of being evicted if we do. We're (usually) just normal people,the same way as home owners are. Just because we don't own our homes doesn't automatically make us trouble or less of a person than one who owns.

Sounds like you've been watching 'those' documentaries that make us all out to be unemployed,drug taking,binge drinking alcoholics.

When I lived in a private house (large, detached, garage and room for a pony) I got battered three ways til Thursday.

Just sayin like.