AIBU to think social housing homes should be temporary?

[Shannoncakequeen]

I know a lot of people won’t be happy about this view so I’m prepared to get flamed for it.

I don’t agree with people living in their social housing homes when they’re no longer ‘entitled’ to them.

By entitled I mean their children have left home so they have extra bedrooms they don’t need but continue to outlive their life there, and so preventing another family from enjoying a suitable home.

It’s not a bash about social housing per se as I know it is there for a very good reason. I was raised in council properties myself so I understand the importance of them being available to those in poverty. I feel many people abuse the system that keeps it fair for those who need it.

As an example, I have a neighbour who lives alone in a 3 bedroom house, large garden, garage and driveway. Ideal property for most of the population. Her children left home over 10 years ago and she is in her early 50s. She told me she had decorated the spare bedrooms for her grandchildren to sleep over in the future (they are currently babies). Whilst I’m flabbergasted she would want to stay put rather than downsize to something small and suitable for one adult, I am human and understand the memories/emotional connection/a house is a home etc, but it isn’t her property and is rented from our local council and therefore I’m shocked the council haven’t got stricter policies on this type of thing. I understand they can’t legally turf out people from their homes, but there should be an incentive to rehome these people so families aren’t stuck in one bedroom tower block flats whilst single adults live in luxury.

Maybe I am bitter because I have to rent and pay extortionate money for the privilege as I cannot get a deposit to buy so I will never be able to raise my child in a home like she has. The house would be £400k+ if it was owned privately, yet she gets it for free and for life just because she joined the list many years ago when it was easy to get social housing. I know many other people in similar places to her and they all believe they morally own the property and have no concern for the housing crisis.

Does anyone else agree that there needs to be stricter rules to make it fair for everyone to have affordable housing whilst in need only (up until children leave home) and not for life? If you are in this position what makes you stay and not give up the property to a family in need? If you plan to stay in your property when your children leave home what offer would make you rethink staying? I’m aware there are new rules for new tenants but this is aimed at long term tenants.

Again I understand this will trigger some people, but morally I can’t come to grips with the entitlement of some people (excluding those who still need the property for health reasons).

Build more council housing.

Forcibly moving people into smaller houses with much higher rents? sounds like something Russia or China would do.

I get a measly housing benefit allowance for my exortionate private rent and I have to tell them immediately of any changes of circumstances even if my salary goes up by a penny so why shouldn't people in social housing have to do the same?? I was recently picked 'at random' to complete a whole new housing benefit claim to check I was still eligible. This should be done for people in social housing.

It is!

I agree. The impact lower income people have is negligible compared to rich people's tax avoidance etc. Convenient and easy to blame people who already have nothing.

Right to buh is the cause of this issue. Now there are so few council houses they should be only given for a see period of time. People earning a lot shouldn’t be able to keep one and neither should those who don’t need the space.
I just can’t believe councils use peoples council tax to pay people to leave houses when they are rented.

Where would this end though?

Would we be expecting homeowners to downsize to free up family homes when their children fly the nest?

What about all lovely privately owned holiday homes that can sit empty during low seasons, why aren't we forcibly making these second home owners rent these to people on the housing register?

Councils AND housing associations (two different types of social housing providers) may both provide incentives for people to downsize...

It's not council tax money used, its rental income.

Has it occurred to you that the secure and affordable housing means that’s how they managed to stabilise and increase their wages etc?

housing is much more than bricks and mortar.

I believe our council transferred all under HAs. If you look at property pool here it's only HAs. The only time I heard about council owed houses was when they were selling them for a pound and when they announced they will build 30 and that's it. Never heard if that 30 finished

@Bubblebubblebah This happened in a lot of local authorities basically because local authorities could no longer afford to keep maintaining and managing their property portfolio.

I remember a hoohah about Bob Crowe the RMT union leader, renting a council house on a salary of over £140k. As a struggling young working mum in the eighties, I felt quite resentful that a fairly senior manager where I worked was buying his council house. We’d scraped a deposit to buy privately as our only option. Because we’d had the nerve to move from our home town where there was little employment, the local council wouldn’t entertain an application, and our private rental came with its only loo in the yard.

Right to Buy was great for those in well built properties in nice areas. Many younger members probably had parents or grandparents who benefitted from it. It was rubbish for anyone needing affordable, secure housing in the years afterwards, as witnessed now.

YABU to hate the players rather than the game.
Your housing situation is a result of government policies, not the fault or responsibility of other people who, not unreasonably, want to continue to live in their homes.
We are constantly manipulated to point the finger at other people and blame their 'selfishness' for our problems. To expect our fellow citizens to make sacrifices in our interests. For other people to give things up so we can have them.
Don't bother the doctor, there's people who are sicker than you! Wait years uncomplainingly for your surgery because other people have cancer! Move out of your house so a family can have it! Don't be SELFISH!!!
All of this just blows a smokescreen over the failure of those whose job it is to ensure the resources are available for those that need them.

I swear unread recently there were plans to sack off this you can't afford a cheaper than your rent mortgage bollocks.

I sincerely hope this is the case it's bloody ludicrous that you are deemed too poor for a mortgage even though you manage to pay rent every month at twice the price.

I agree. People who own or rent a house privately will usually downsize when older so they have less space to keep clean and possibly a bungalow so no stairs to navigate (although that is usually a lot older than 50!). I never get when people say they don't want to leave the memories behind, loads of people do that all the time when renting or buying, why does this suddenly change for social housing?

We don't actually need a lot of housing built, there's plenty being used unsuitably by many people, like this. And it would help if the Tories stopped selling it all off, but they'll never do that.

I’m not sure where these replies of being thrown out with children is coming from. My theory is that people will move into their social housing home when they have young children/a baby whatever their set up is, and they will know that when that youngest child reaches adulthood they will be asked to look for a more suitable property or be offered one. That means upwards of 20 years in that property. If people aren’t able to look after their property and take care of it then they should be evicted. If they are ungrateful enough that they have been offered a secure home and damage it because they will have to leave in 20 years then they should be removed from that property and give it to someone who will appreciate it. All social housing property houses I know of have a clause in the tenancy that if the house isn’t taken care of and there is visible damage they will be taken to court for the costs. 20 years is plenty of time for families to make a plan for their future, if that means opening their mind to a new area or new job to better themselves and find a new property they want then so be it, as that’s also the risk of private tenants. Home owners are obviously exempt because you own your property, you paid for it and it’s yours for life, social housing tenants don’t own the property they rent it which is always temporary in the long run.

I read that. So that means that in many places there is no distinction, because there are only HAs if i am getting this right.

We have an ageing population with many older people living in unsuitable homes (owned and LA) - speak to any home carer. I think the government/councils really need to invest in new, suitable, pleasant, supported accommodation for older people and those with disabilities - not just extortionate private retirement villages, then offer incentives to move/downsize freeing up family size houses.

I think your annoyance is directed at the wrong people.

I would love for more social housing to be built so that people like you could live in decent homes.

Yet another win to the divisive Government we have in place - divide and conquer and all that…

What I would say about your neighbour is that if she has lived in the house for years and years her tenancy agreement is probably on different terms to newer ones.

my understanding is that tenancy agreements now are reviewed on a regular basis and take into account the number of people living there.

I am sorry for your situation but I don’t think the people living in social housing are to blame on this one…

If opening one's mind to a new area and new job and 'bettering themselves' so they no longer need SH is your proposed solution; is it not something you could consider doing yourself?
Seems more straightforward to me than expecting other people to rearrange their lives to meet your needs.

That's right @Bubblebubblebah - in some areas HAs even taken on the role of managing the housing register which was previously the role of the local authority.

Following the introduction of the homelessness reduction act I believe most (maybe all?) local authorities took this role back as it places a statutory duty on the local authority to reduce homelessness and carry out certain steps with anyone presenting as homeless.

Could not agree more with the point made by @5128gap ... reminds me of the quote

"They want us fighting over who has the biggest pile of crumbs so we don't realise they have run off with the whole cake"

It's very easy to direct hate towards each other. But the focus needs to be on the institutions who have failed society, waste vast amounts of money and who survive by benefiting the wealthy.

Thankyou xxx

Exactly why would anyone do that ,mu house is far from perfect ,but it's secure, we don't have to worry about repairs and we are not in a position of worrying we could thrown.out every few months ,folk on mumsnet seem to think we should all act in the best interests of others ,and that we all live in London.

Just to add to new posters.
Fixed term tenancies were introduced by local authorities (and many) housing associations in 2011. To review tenancies every 5 years to see whether there was still a
housing need or whether tenants could be moved on.

Didn't work. Far too subjective. Encourages people not to better themselves or they lose their homes.

Most housing associations and local authorities stopped issuing fixed term tenancies and just granted assured tenancies to all.

I’m not sure why you’re directing it at me as I’m in private rent and have had to move areas several times, I make sure my job is accessible from where I go to and if not I’ll have to change jobs. A roof over my head is more important. So yes I do put that thought into process and no one is meeting my needs but myself.
it’s the same with benefits, parents know when their children leave school or home their benefits will drop. The same should apply for housing.

It is 🙄