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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be worried about social housing?

330 replies

thegreenlight · 13/04/2019 13:57

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?

OP posts:
cliquewhyohwhy · 13/04/2019 15:05

You can get dickhead neighbours in any kind of housing, social or privately owned.

ScrewyMcScrewup · 13/04/2019 15:05

This reply has been deleted

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Alsohuman · 13/04/2019 15:09

There are some horrible people on MN. Snobbish horrible people at that.

Huskylover1 · 13/04/2019 15:12

Some people are being deliberately goady here, or at best naive.

I worked as a Police officer for 5 years, in a large town, with lots of Social housing. We were called to the same social housing estate every single shift Always the same problem :unemployed people getting rat arsed and fighting with neighbours. And no, you didn't get called out to the private housing areas in the same way. You know why? Because they are all at fucking work.

Yes it's not very PC to say it, and No, not all people in Social Housing are like this, however, many are, and I would never want to live on an estate where a large proportion of residents don't work/have never worked/get pissed and fight/are on heroin/have shopping trolleys and junk in their gardens/have kids running wild because they aren't parented ....etc etc.

I have now moved to a new much smaller town. There is literally only one street of Social housing. Guess where most of the "breach of the peace" calls come from? Yep. That street. Coincidence? I think not.

So there is the truth of it. But I guess you're not meant to say it, for fear of upsetting the nice people who live in social housing, and the Politically Correct Police.

I would imagine, that nice law abiding people, who are stuck in social housing, would much rather live somewhere nicer if they could? That's not a crime, is it? It's a shame that there are so many arseholes around, spoiling it for the rest of us really.

Lndnmummy · 13/04/2019 15:12

Are you really that ignorant OP? I feel really sorry for you and I’d hate having to live next door to you too. I’d hate my children growing up next to yours and your small minded view of the world. Your little newbuilt sound awful.

Bluelonerose · 13/04/2019 15:14

Another social housing tennent here.
What do you think I do in this house that I wouldn't do in my own?
The only difference is if a need a repair I phone my landlord and they come fix it rather than me phoning plumber/electrician etc

thegreenlight · 13/04/2019 15:17

I have been totally reality checked, thank you. It’s a big house we are buying and it’s a big deal for us. I don’t want to make a mistake. Where we live now backs onto fields and I guess I’m concerned about having any neighbours. I take everything on board. I really am a nice person and a nice neighbour but the lady showing us around the house was very ‘oh well it is affordable housing’ and made it sound a real drawback. Consider my head well and truely wobbled.

OP posts:
Lndnmummy · 13/04/2019 15:18

Husky, are you a police officer or “have job worked as one? You sound a judgemental arse too. I don’t need people like you “upholding the law” as your judgements view of the world will very clearly cloud your judgement. My husband gets repeatedly stopped by “police officers” like you. Because he is black and “looks shifty”. He grew up in social housing and you’d all be bloody lucky to live next door to him. He is a lawyer (yea, a black one Shock) and he’s be the first person to help you if you were in trouble.

Ignorant fools, bet you vouted Brexit too

TraceyLP · 13/04/2019 15:20

People posting here saying that they are hard working/good neighbours/ allocated due to disability and live in social housing has perhaps proven my assumptions are wrong but I thought the demand on social housing was so great that no “normal” people or families were allocated houses anymore and that the only people to benefit have very complex problems. I thought your average family was at the bottom of a waiting list of 10,000 and addicts/criminals/asbos at the top.

Huskylover1 · 13/04/2019 15:20

Thing is though....even if you're not bothered, when you come to sell, many of your viewers will be.....

SosigDog · 13/04/2019 15:20

I wouldn’t. The house next door to my aunt is social housing and the council has moved a succession of alcoholics and drug addicts into it. Then all their mates come round to party at all hours every night of the week - making noise, chucking empty bottles over the fence, passing out on the front lawn, knocking on my aunts door asking to borrow food or money, or asking her to call an ambulance because their friend has overdosed and they have no phone credit, etc. We’ve had three evicted for antisocial behaviour so far.

Of course the council might move a lovely tenant in. But then again they might not. I’d stay well clear.

Snog · 13/04/2019 15:21

There are two newish estates close to my house, probably 1,000 units of housing altogether with 30% social housing and the only antisocial behaviour I know about over the last few years has been a loud motorbike and a loud car driven too fast.

I don't know if the owners of these vehicles were in private houses or renting or social housing or just visiting.

HoraceCope · 13/04/2019 15:21

some police officers are judgy people -

but this is why they build social housing, in amonst private builds, to integrate, and to steer away from the so called Sink estates

Redglitter · 13/04/2019 15:22

I lived in a flat where 90% of the properties in the street were HA. The neighbours were lovely. Couldn't do enough for each other. Gardens & communal areas were immaculate

I moved then to a flat in a very naice area. The couple across the road were arrested numerous times for domestic incidents. A flat in my building had the police put the door in on a warrant and found a cannabis cultivation. Someone 2 blocks down was a paedophile & is now back in jail.

I finally bought my own (ex council) house. My neighbours are council tenants. They're lovely. Their gardens are absolutely gorgeous they're very friendly & I never hear a sound from them.

Having HA/council neighbours doesn't automatically mean trouble just as owner occupier doesn't mean great neighbours.

At least if HA tenants are problematic you have somewhere to complain to.

Having said that - the multiple gardens issue would put me off regardless who the neighbours were

Huskylover1 · 13/04/2019 15:24

Yeah, I am judgemental....gettting 999 calls to the same streets, every shift, will do that to you. Or are we to pretend it isn't happening?

How you link that to Race/Lawyers/Brexit is beyond baffling.

FuckASilverLining · 13/04/2019 15:26

Makes me feel great to know that some people would make such negative assumptions about me and my children based on the fact that housing rates have increased so much that social housing is such a blessing to us.

Thanks 👍

TellySavalashairbrush · 13/04/2019 15:28

We live in Social housing property. We all work legitimately, none of us are criminals (dd is a police officer) I have a degree. Just happened that I was a working lone parent on a very low income 20 years ago. We have always been good neighbours, which is more than can be said for some of our neighbours who aren’t in social housing.

Huskylover1 · 13/04/2019 15:30

The house next door to my aunt is social housing and the council has moved a succession of alcoholics and drug addicts into it. Then all their mates come round to party at all hours every night of the week - making noise, chucking empty bottles over the fence, passing out on the front lawn, knocking on my aunts door asking to borrow food or money, or asking her to call an ambulance because their friend has overdosed and they have no phone credit, etc. We’ve had three evicted for antisocial behaviour so far

Now now, SosigDog you mustn't say such things, even if they are true. Hmm

Shadowboy · 13/04/2019 15:31

We bought a house which has social houses across the road. I would never ever do it again. The stench of cannabis, the noise, the cars everywhere (they seem to be unable to keep their cars in their double space drives like everyone else. I’m desperate to leave already- our direct neighbours are lovely but I’ll be honest the social houses bar one lovely lady have ruined our time here.

Candleglow7475 · 13/04/2019 15:33

I agree you can get arsehole neighbours anyway, but I live close to a massive social housing estate, and there’s anti social behaviour everywhere, feral kids shoplifting from local spar, adults fighting outside shop, off road bikes on roads & pavements everywhere, people pissed up at 3pm on afternoon flat out on the pavement, rubbish everywhere - yes including mattresses & fridges. This generally does not happen on the privately owned houses. I feel sorry for these decent people who live there and have to put up with this.

Huskylover1 · 13/04/2019 15:38

Not everyone in SH is an arsehole. Obviously. But generally, the most troubled people in our society (be it alcoholics or drug addicts), will be housed in SH, so I think it comes down to whether you want to live alongside people who can generally cause a lot of trouble.

My sibling lived in a house that backed on to SH. It was an absolute nightmare and she eventually had to leave. They were up till 4am every night, partying, doing drugs, lighting big fires in their garden, fighting etc. My sibling had to be up every day for work at 6am. Of course, the troubled neighbours didn't work, and could sleep it off until whenever (only to do it all again the next night).

Whether you like it or not, we have a segment of our society that is troubled, do not work, and are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, and whether you like it or not, SH is where they all end up. They also call the Police and call ambulances far more than the people who are actually paying their taxes. You can't pretend it isn't happening. It is!

PositiveVibez · 13/04/2019 15:38

I really am a nice person

Sorry OP, but I am always highly dubious of people who say this about themselves.

I read your OP and can't believe people say this shit out loud. I thought even bigots would only think stuff like this.

I worked with a social housing tenant charity for 10 years and met many lovely people along the way, who loved their home and community.

I don't think you should move there, because you sound like a douchebag and I wouldn't like you as a neighbour.

PeachyPrincess · 13/04/2019 15:39

Oh give over pps, none of you have known bad areas that happen to be social housing too?

pessimisticstateofperception · 13/04/2019 15:39

I live in social housing, I'm also an utter cunt. Hope this helps you in your predicament.

hazell42 · 13/04/2019 15:41

Affordable housing and social housing, totally not the same thing.
And yes you were BU, which you have acknowledged

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