To think holiday homes could be used to house lots of refugees

[Letshaveablackcelebration]

Uk has a LOT of holiday homes and empty second homes. Surely they could be used to take a lot of Refugees aswell as spare rooms? It could support local economies all year round too rather than just in peak tourism seasons? The crisis is going to escalate rapidly in Ukraine- there are 44 million people in the country and so far it’s about 2 million who have fled and now countries like Moldova and the Poland are starting to struggle so we need to step up.

Aibu? It seems like an obvious solution. Obviously using the empty homes of oligarchs too is a preference.

I read an article about a woman who gave her French holiday home to a refugee family.

@HelloDulling

After all, you’re clearly not interested in Ukrainian refugees moving into your village if you want to preserve the Welsh language. After all, taking away the holiday homes from the English, and replacing the English with Russian speakers isn’t going to promote the welsh language either is it?

Ukrainian families would send their children to schools, where they would learn the Welsh language. Holidays makers who book in for a week here and there, or 2nd homers who arrive the 2nd week of July and stay until the bank holiday weekend, don’t join the community in the same way.

Is the Ukrainians earning the welsh language beneficial to them or the welsh?

So they'd need to learn English and Welsh, then go back to Ukraine (hopefully for them to be
Be in their home country, speaking their own language) it's a lot to ask?

I’m not jealous @HELLITHURT. I don’t think you can assume that everyone who has an issue with second/third home ownership is jealous.

I grew up in Devon, and my parents live in Cornwall, so I know first hand what the holiday home frenzy has done to the area. I’m also not jealous of people who make money from people needing a roof over their head.

I do have a strong sense of injustice that the country and economy is set up so those more wealthy can pretty much exploit those less wealthy, and for what it’s done to the housing market.

And I’m certainly not jealous of how many of those with second homes on here feel the need to attack individuals because the concept is being called out. Everyone will or won’t do what they want, but I’m happier with working in a job and knowing my ethics, values and compassion aren’t swallowed up by needing to take money off others for basic shelter.

Have a second, third, fourth or 70th home. It’s up to you, but stop making it out to be anything than a moneymaker for you, and try to at least reply nicely, because right now you’re not coming across as anything but ranty and rude.

‘Is the Ukrainians earning the welsh language beneficial to them or the welsh?’

@HELLITHURT because it’s the language of our country and it’s taught in schools on the national curriculum. You wouldn’t go to France and not learn French. It’s utterly ignorant yet again of Wales and Welsh culture.

@Cheeseplease1976

‘Is the Ukrainians earning the welsh language beneficial to them or the welsh?’

@HELLITHURT because it’s the language of our country and it’s taught in schools on the national curriculum. You wouldn’t go to France and not learn French. It’s utterly ignorant yet again of Wales and Welsh culture.

Bit you've not answered my question? And you clearly speak fluent English??

Why do you do that?

Can I ask who sold the properties to the English ...The Welsh?

I don't think we're supposed to mention that, HELLITHURT - like we're not supposed to mention all those Welsh who bought their council homes at knockdown prices, leading to even less affordable housing being available

@HELLITHURT honestly it’s your ignorance that is embarrassing to be honest. You just don’t understand the issues here.

This whole thread is full of entitlement around holiday homes- entitlement that says that people couldn’t possibly let their home to a Ukrainian as they’d lose their 3k a week. It’s exactly that entitlement that I see every day of my life.

@Bunnyfuller

I’m not jealous *@HELLITHURT*. I don’t think you can assume that everyone who has an issue with second/third home ownership is jealous.

I grew up in Devon, and my parents live in Cornwall, so I know first hand what the holiday home frenzy has done to the area. I’m also not jealous of people who make money from people needing a roof over their head.

I do have a strong sense of injustice that the country and economy is set up so those more wealthy can pretty much exploit those less wealthy, and for what it’s done to the housing market.

And I’m certainly not jealous of how many of those with second homes on here feel the need to attack individuals because the concept is being called out. Everyone will or won’t do what they want, but I’m happier with working in a job and knowing my ethics, values and compassion aren’t swallowed up by needing to take money off others for basic shelter.

Have a second, third, fourth or 70th home. It’s up to you, but stop making it out to be anything than a moneymaker for you, and try to at least reply nicely, because right now you’re not coming across as anything but ranty and rude.

are the moneymakers not the people selling? They could get £50K form a local and accept that offer ...... or get £60k from a second home owner.

So they sell their soul?

@HELLITHURT - yes it's selective, oh well never mind 😀

@Puzzledandpissedoff

Can I ask who sold the properties to the English ...The Welsh?

I don't think we're supposed to mention that, HELLITHURT - like we're not supposed to mention all those Welsh who bought their council homes at knockdown prices, leading to even less affordable housing being available

Oh god I didn't understand all the welsh rules!!!

They already are the world over.

@HELLITHURT Byddaf yn siarad cymraeg os yw'n well gennych?

I assume you don’t siarad cymraes so it’s probably better I speak English on here isn’t it!

[quote Cheeseplease1976]@HELLITHURT Byddaf yn siarad cymraeg os yw'n well gennych?

I assume you don’t siarad cymraes so it’s probably better I speak English on here isn’t it![/quote]
Happy holidays.... see you in June!

[quote Cheeseplease1976]@HELLITHURT Byddaf yn siarad cymraeg os yw'n well gennych?

I assume you don’t siarad cymraes so it’s probably better I speak English on here isn’t it![/quote]
Where do you holiday?

[quote Cheeseplease1976]@HELLITHURT honestly it’s your ignorance that is embarrassing to be honest. You just don’t understand the issues here.

This whole thread is full of entitlement around holiday homes- entitlement that says that people couldn’t possibly let their home to a Ukrainian as they’d lose their 3k a week. It’s exactly that entitlement that I see every day of my life.[/quote]
While I don’t really want to Wade into this …. Is it entitled that people want the income from their own business?

Sorely when someone is accused of being entitled what we mean is they think they have a right to something they haven’t earned? If people have bough holiday homes they have earned them and there is nothing entitled about running a business?

Did people call small shop owners entitled when they were worried about loss of earnings during Covid?

I think you are so angry about your specific local issues it is clouding your judgement.

Yes it is sad that some rural communities have been destroyed by people owning second homes. But that doesn’t mean people who own holiday homes should be forced to give them up. It’s not entitled or greedy to fight for your livelihood - and there is nothing morally wrong with running a holiday accommodation business. Hotels, cottages and b&bs have been a thing for hundreds of years. We encourage people to holiday local to help local economies.

I think your logic is flawed

Oh god I didn't understand all the welsh rules!!!

Few of us do, HELLITHURT

On your question about who's helped by learning the language though, I imagine most would agree that becoming familiar with a local tongue is an excellent thing, even if (depending on area) very few may speak it fluently themselves

However with incomers who have no western language at all, I can't help feeling that prioritising English might be a better option, if only because it's of use outside a relatively small area

@Puzzledandpissedoff

Oh god I didn't understand all the welsh rules!!!

Few of us do, HELLITHURT

On your question about who's helped by learning the language though, I imagine most would agree that becoming familiar with a local tongue is an excellent thing, even if (depending on area) very few may speak it fluently themselves

However with incomers who have no western language at all, I can't help feeling that prioritising English might be a better option, if only because it's of use outside a relatively small area

Of course prioritising English is preferable.

How useful is welsh?

@Bunnyfuller if the presence of people alone is enough to create jobs... then why is so much of the NorthEast impoverished.. former mining towns... there are plenty of people, and people == jobs, innit?
For Christ's sake

@Mellowyellow222 yes you are right. I am angry because I see people I went to school with living in caravans while houses lie empty for months of the year. It’s outrageous.
I see our local school closed because locals can no longer afford to live here & raise their kids when they want to.

I see people coming in and thinking it’s their private playground, that its quaint and pretty for their 2 weeks of the year while the locals are struggling to exist.

I see people changing the Welsh names of houses to anglicised ones and erasing our history and culture.

So yes, I am pretty pissed off. And it grates on me when people are complains they might not get their £1000 a week if they took a Ukrainian while my friends live in caravans as there are no houses locally they can afford.

So yea, I am pretty fucked off.

“How useful is welsh?”

@HELLITHURT well pretty fucking useful to those of us that speak it!

Genuinely can’t imagine anyone asking ‘how useful is French or Italian or Japanese or swahili’

But hey, when it’s Welsh.... Jesus the ignorance is ASTOUNDING!

@Cheeseplease1976

“How useful is welsh?”

@HELLITHURT well pretty fucking useful to those of us that speak it!

Bit you also speak English? So not really that fucking useful? More a pastime?

[quote Cheeseplease1976]@Mellowyellow222 yes you are right. I am angry because I see people I went to school with living in caravans while houses lie empty for months of the year. It’s outrageous.
I see our local school closed because locals can no longer afford to live here & raise their kids when they want to.

I see people coming in and thinking it’s their private playground, that its quaint and pretty for their 2 weeks of the year while the locals are struggling to exist.

I see people changing the Welsh names of houses to anglicised ones and erasing our history and culture.

So yes, I am pretty pissed off. And it grates on me when people are complains they might not get their £1000 a week if they took a Ukrainian while my friends live in caravans as there are no houses locally they can afford.

So yea, I am pretty fucked off.[/quote]
You have every right to be pissed off, but you're conflating 2 separate issues. FWIW I'm also against owning second homes only to leave them empty. I think they should be made so expensive to own that it's cheaper to sell. To locals.

But... the issue is really about:

1. Requisitioning people's property
2. The slippery slope. Why all the fuss about Ukrainian refugees? Why not house homeless people, or refugees from other countries?

[quote Cheeseplease1976]@Mellowyellow222 yes you are right. I am angry because I see people I went to school with living in caravans while houses lie empty for months of the year. It’s outrageous.
I see our local school closed because locals can no longer afford to live here & raise their kids when they want to.

I see people coming in and thinking it’s their private playground, that its quaint and pretty for their 2 weeks of the year while the locals are struggling to exist.

I see people changing the Welsh names of houses to anglicised ones and erasing our history and culture.

So yes, I am pretty pissed off. And it grates on me when people are complains they might not get their £1000 a week if they took a Ukrainian while my friends live in caravans as there are no houses locally they can afford.

So yea, I am pretty fucked off.[/quote]
Who sold their homes to these people?

The welsh?

But you are conflating two very different issues.

You are right to be proud of your culture and community and it is understandable that you feel frustrated.

But it’s not selfish of people to need an income from holiday homes they have bought. Some people will be willing to (and can afford to) sacrifice income to help. But expecting a huge sacrifice from a small percentage of the population because they have bought homes where you don’t want them to is a twisted logic.

The problem
Is far more complex than that. You have a huge level of hostility against these home owners - and if anything you are being disingenuous by pretending you want to help refugees. You don’t. You want to punish people who have bough up Homes in your home village. Even if they gave these homes to refugees for sox months or a year I don’t think that would appease you.