To wonder why so many people are hypocrites when it comes to housing?

[WestminsterCrabby]

Got into quite a heated row discussion last night with some relatives. 🍷

They are Fuming (capital F intended) about all the new housing estates popping up in their leafy village. Apparently its ruined the views, ruined their dog walks yaddah yaddah.

These are couples in their late 50s early 60s whose children are long gone but still live in their large 4 bed detached homes. When I pointed out that perhaps so many new homes wouldnt need to be built (or smaller ones that took up less space) if people only took up the amount of space they needed rather than felt entitled to, they thought I was being very very unreasonable. I disagree!

I appreciate that people living in houses bigger than there needs is not the cause of the housing shortage HOWEVER surely you cant complain about other people needing to be housed while you yourself have 2 bedrooms per person?!?

Drives me mad and it's not the first time I've had conversations like this with people in a similar circumstances.

It makes me sad to see the countryside being converted over as well but people have got to live somewhere.

Aibu here?

@jimmyjammy001

your post makes no sense

@zafferana sums up a huge part of the issue very well

where I live, a medium size city with 2 universities, it seems that every available piece of land is being bought up for purpose built student accommodation.
At the bottom of my road, an ordinary terrace street, there is a development of 260 student flats, I’m sure the pub opposite will be happy and the chippy and pizza shops, but there is no parking. Some starter family houses would have been more in keeping with the area but I guess not as lucrative.
Further down the road there is a development of 300 retirement flats. None of which I could afford.

Any young person reading this going to think having lots of children priority more priority than work or education cos punishment for no children or only 1 child is being homeless or bad slum.

I think he is saying that the people OP is talking about who complain about housing developments, are the ones to blame as they have had children who then need housing, who then have children who need housing and so on and so on.

It's not dramatic. It's real personal experience. See other person's post saying about new build in her area. Smallest is 2 bed.

Where is 1 bed? Nowhere for singles especially disabled to go. I suffered violence and nearly homeless cos social housing in my area downsizers get priority above everyone.

In my old area was in papers about wheelchair users trapped upper floor flat cos broken lift and council not fixed it for weeks.

Where is over dramatic about reality?

They build retirement homes for single or couple with no children but where is homes for work age disabled no children.

Think not even enough for disabled children too cos they may need bungalow or ground floor so disabled all ages not enough homes.

Social downsizing is very very bad disgusting anti single especially anti disabled policy. No homes disabled especially domestic violence nowhere to go.
All 1 beds were taken in my old area by downsizers.
Disgusting to applaud that.

If there were 1 a bedroomed house going I'd happily downsize but no HA builds those, just 1 bed flats. Having lived in a flat before, there is no way I'd go back to that.

I really really wouldn't like that!

But I would like people in the fortunate position that you and my relatives are in to understand that if people aren't willing to ever part with the 'family' homes in the village then of course new ones will have to be built.

But in the fullness of time my ‘family’ home will become available, I will either end up in a care home or will die.

@TimBoothseyes I agree with you that a wider variety of houses need to be built including bungalows and small houses to free up larger properties.

@nosafeguardingadults I tick all your boxes. I am disabled with a disabled child and a downsizer- not one property has come on in 3 months that will enable me to bid on it in my area. I do think people should be encouraged to move on from large properties (council and HA) when they have finished raising their families. I have a four bedroom at the moment and their are only 150 in my huge area.

That doesn't negate from the fact more purpose built properties need to be built for disabled people I agree.