To think that Boris bringing back the 'Right to buy' scheme from the 80s is a terrible idea

[somewhereoverthechipshop]

Just this really. I think it's a slap in the face for all those private renters who cannot afford to buy a home, and just a horrible idea.
Boris Johnson mulls a new Right to Buy scheme as housebuilding hits the curb (cityam.com)

Not sure if link above works, but you can google it.
Evidently he is 'mulling over' the idea of bringing back Margaret Thatcher's scheme from the late 80s that decimated this country's council housing stock.
Just wondered what other people thought about it?

It wouldn't necessarily, the more costs of being a landlord rise, the fewer people do it, which reduces pressure on the housing market.

I think it's worth understanding what the basic appeal of promoting home ownership is, from a small c conservative position.

Basically, people renting, even renting from the state where there isn't a profit element, are not increasing their equity in the way home owners are. nd there are plenty of people who have complained that the less well off can't get ahead because they watch their money going down the hole of rent every month, because they cannot, for example, borrow money against the equity they have in a property. And like it or not, home ownership represents a substantial investment that people can tap into when they are older.

No matter what, rents don't end up being that much cheaper than a mortgage unless they are subsidized, because the basic costs of land and materials and labour are the same.

The other element that is a bit more abstract is that when you own, it gives a certain kind of independence that can be empowering. If you rent, even from government, you are in a certain way at their mercy. Whether they are bad at upkeep, or have stupid rules, whatever.

So the idea of trying to create a situation where lower income people are able to put their money into ownership rather than rent, makes a certain kind of sense.

The devil is in the details though, and in a mixed market where real estate is overheated there is a lot of potential for exploitation and I am sure trying to close those gaps must be very difficult. I suppose really the biggest problem is the overheated real estate market.

It certainly says something about the state of the country when council house tenants are looked at with envy. Things have gone very badly wrong.

Whose responsibility is that? To whom should we be directing our anger? Tenants? Or policy makers?

@Basketet I am in exactly the same position...I work Full time, have an excellent credit score, never miss a bill, have no credit card debt...my only crime is bringing up two children alone. Stuck paying private rent. This should not be happening.

Not sure if your question is serious but of course not tenants, they are not to blame for the fucked-up system we have.

@MangyInseam agree with you. On a macro level having more people with the economic choices that home ownership brings especially once past working age, has a lot going for it. Also on a personal level it works better for many, again especially once past working age.

It's the wider context that this is happening in - property as asset class in the era of deregulation and quantitative easing- together with the deliberate refusal to ringfence proceeds, that makes it problematic.

@carefullycourageous I'm seeing a lot of negative comments about tenants on this thread.

To whom should we be directing our anger? Tenants? Or policy makers?

Potentially both

The policy makers can usually be relied on to make a hash of things, but while most tenants are thoroughly decent I've little time for those who originally complained about the housing shortage but itch to buy their own HA property once they're in

It has in Wales & Scotland...

Well yes, some people are idiots, but tenants are obviously not to blame for decisions made by governments!

If councils had used the right to buy money they got to build new housing there wouldn't be a problem.

People do what makes sense for them within the limits of policy according to the circumstance they're in.

How many homeowners turn down the extra money when they come to sell and they can get £100k more for their house than they paid for it? They're not exactly helping to resolve the housing crisis themselves, are they?

Yes, and it's your second paragraph that I wonder about. What to do about that? Is there a better model? One that is actually politically viable?

@MangyInseam I really don't know. It feels like we've gone through a bit of a sea change since 2008. Money doesn't mean the same, wages don't mean the same, economies don't work the same, since then. The global asset market is booming like never before - people like Christie's can't get stuff out fast enough, nor can property developers. Because of our laissez-faire attitude to the provision of housing in the UK and our baseline inequalities, we're seeing more people at the sharp end than more regulated flatter economies but it's a worldwide movement that has been going on for over a decade. Is it even possible to pull back from that now, especially in the UK when we are economically isolated?

I'm confused also as if you have a HA or Council property yes, you can buy after five years at a discounted price.

I don't understand because with many HAs you can buy. Must just be extending to more or all HAs, but don't see how it's that big of a change that it needs such headline coverage.

@pixie5121 sorry to hear.

As you're being evicted you should be considered threatened homeless. Contact your council and housing associations and tell them you are threatened homeless and that you wish to be considered for housing.

Many of the properties are only available to buy via auction - what's all that about?

Possibly unmortgageable?

Also get your GP to write a letter in support - your housing situation is exacerbating your disability yadda yadda (it will be if you think about it) and see how you go. Get on the list, get bidding, contact your councillor and MP. Good luck.

Awful idea. no reason why people should be able to buy a heavily discounted house after being lucky to be given one, only to sell years later for a huge profit. I used to work in conveyancing and many were quids in after their 2 year wait...then I worked with dv victims and children who had nowhere to go and escape to because the council housing had been sold off!!

I grew up on an council estate. Decent sized 3 bed houses with gardens and a shared play area, ideal for families who couldn’t afford homes. We lived in the same house my entire childhood with no concerns about eviction etc, we were able to treat it as our own home. Eventually my parents moved to a council bungalow elsewhere and another family got the house.

Over the years all of the houses have been sold for a huge discount, so now they aren’t available for families any more. The available council housing in the village is flats, sheltered accommodation for the elderly, and a few scratty little houses with no gardens which were obviously not profitable enough for the tenants to have bothered buying. I don’t think it was a good idea to sell off all of the family homes because now other families can’t benefit from the secure tenancy and space that we had.

I know. It should be a safety net for those in their time of need.

I live in a HA with a life time tenancy, I don't see why I need to buy it. At least when I'm done the property becomes available for someone else.