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).

@Shannoncakequeen did you miss the point where you were told 1 bed properties were in short supply? Do you want to swap people having 1x 3bed unit for 3x1 bed unit. 😂

@CuriousCatfish if anyone is being goady AF it's you, presumably you live in a nice, secure, comfortable home ??

What's the incentive to move out of the home you own? Why is home ownership seen as the goal? Some people are happy to rent for their whole lives, no issue with that.

@Limesaregreen looks amazing.

Cornish- that’s why I said ‘if there was an abundance of housing’ perhaps you missed that part

@Shannoncakequeen

This happens a lot anyway. Certainly in my area once you get to a certain age and your dependents have left the council start enticing you out into bungalows in far, far nicer areas and usually the places they offer you are fairly new. You do have the option to decline but many don’t as they get cheaper rent for living in much nicer areas.

Many people already downsize into smaller houses due to the bedroom tax too.

Also if you’re in a council house, generally your adult kids will not get a helping hand for a mortgage (I.e bank of mum and dad) so they generally stay at home for longer whilst they save for their own deposits (like I said no bank of mum and dad usually so it will take them longer to move out). An adult child at 18 WILL be planning for their future but what do you suggest in the meantime? Kick them out because they’re now adults who have only just started working? 👋

All this moving around every 5 years destabilises families and most certainly will not end a poverty cycle.

Why all the bitterness anyway OP, you seem incredibly invested in this? It’s not like council houses get given out like smarties. We waited around 9 years for ours whilst in some pretty dire circs. All this external blaming is incredibly short sighted in the grand scheme of things.

I would respectfully suggest that if people have thousands to spend on their properties they shouldn’t be taking advantage of social housing.
You are moving into a property with no flooring, kitchen appliances, bare walls amongst other things. In your vision of how social housing should be used, are you expecting occupants to sit on boxes, maybe they could have a camping stove, after all no point investing in a proper oven as they'll be getting turfed out in no time.
Instead of punching down, why not turn your obvious envy into something constructive and campaign for better conditions in the private sector, rent caps and secure tenancies for starters. Maybe that would make buy to let properties less attractive and bring down the cost of buying your own place for the average family.
Target the real villains in this set up, a government that hasn't brought in proper controls in the private rental market and been able to provide affordable homes to its citizens, not those lowest down the socio-economic ladder.

@cawfeee

Yes we had to take out a loan to carpet the whole house. Nails sticking out everywhere.

My carpets are nice and I look after them. All grey. It’s a shame the council will rip them up as soon as we leave. Never understood that policy.

I would respectfully suggest that if people have thousands to spend on their properties they shouldn’t be taking advantage of social housing.
The 1000's spent are usually spent over a long period of time.
You do know there is nothing but bare walls and floors, no curtains or kitchen appliances, furniture, usually the back garden has not been touched.
Would you prefer if people didn’t improve their social housing living for years without carpets or wallpaper?
How miserable would you like those pesky people to be?
Take their shoes too?
Miserable enough to be worthy of social housing so completely downtrodden?

My carpets are nice and I look after them. All grey. It’s a shame the council will rip them up as soon as we leave. Never understood that policy.
Yes it's a ridiculous policy.
I can understand tiles being removed if the new tenant fell though carpets and curtain pole fittings, wardrobes etc is ridiculous removing them.

I would respectfully suggest that if people have thousands to spend on their properties they shouldn’t be taking advantage of social housing.

@LuaDipa you clearly have no idea how the social housing system works. When a house is vacated, the flooring is ripped up (even if it's in great condition) and it's returned to basically a shell. Entirely unlike debasing from a private landlord.

Personally I think that's ridiculous, but there you are. The new tenant has no choice but to either spend money or live on bare concrete/untended floorboards etc.

They're unlikely to have thousands to spend at one time, but over a long period they will have spent thousands to make it a home.

Debasing= renting.

I wouldn’t expect adult children to be turfed on the street but I’d hope if their parents had signed a contract many years beforehand they would have planned ahead for the timing when it came. There would be no excuse not to have helped themselves on the lead up to the date. You can’t haggle with benefits just because you have a 21 year old at home with no job, you get what you’re given, get a job or go without. Same applies with housing. Uni students rent a room until they are qualified and can afford a property, adult children have choices. I wouldn’t agree with councils rehousing adult children as their needs were met as housed children with a secure home to grow up in. When I moved out of my parents council property I rented a flat with a friend, I didn’t automatically assume I was entitled to join the council list because I’d been in a secure council tenancy previously and I certainly didn’t want to live with my parents as an adult. And by not doing that someone else got a property I may have eventually got if I had joined the council list, which is what this country needs more of, consideration for others in worse situations. I’m not bitter I just think more needs to be done to improve the housing situation and this would be a good step to ensure that everyone got a chance of the home they need in certain times of their life. It wouldn’t be moving every 5 years, it would be until their children are adults which for some could be 30 years in that property if they have many children or large age gaps. But the end result would still mean a contract stating they give that property back when it’s no longer suitable. If you can’t private rent then you appreciate the help the council gave you to raise your children somewhere safe and accept their next offer of a smaller property to continue having a roof over your head. The housing situation is only getting worse because of people like my neighbour having no thought for their choices adding to the problem. I know there aren’t enough properties available for this to work instantly, but if it was something councils look into then eventually it would make improvements as families in hostels would find the suitably sized homes they need and adults would be settled in properties that will meet their eventual needs as elderly people. If you require the help for a roof over your head you shouldn’t be making demands about staying in certain areas or roads, if you want that option there is private renting.

@EmeraldShamrock1 they couldn't win! We have neighbours calling us up to complain about new tenants using bed sheets and bin liners for curtains when they can't afford these things straight away, or they're on order!

Imagine the uproar if people moved in and DIDNT take care of the homes they were "given for free"

Yes it's a ridiculous policy.
I can understand tiles being removed if the new tenant fell though carpets and curtain pole fittings, wardrobes etc is ridiculous removing them

thats because previously people would assume the council supplied the carpet and then had to upkeep the carpet or replace the carpet etc - same with appliances and curtain poles etc.

Thats on the tenants that the council had to do that.

I think a lot of people would exercise their right to buy if forced to move, then those houses would be lost as social housing homes for ever more.

My MIL has lived in her 2-bed council house for 62 years. Her garden is her life's work and greatest pleasure. If she was told she had to move into a one-bed place, it would break her heart.

One of her kids is very wealthy, they would just buy it for her, and inherit it on her death. No-one else would benefit from it then. At least letting her stay there means it will go to a family in need after her death.

@Shannoncakequeen

Dear god my eyes are hurting. Have you ever heard of a paragraph? 🤦‍♀️

Spending thousands on furniture and white goods doesn’t count because they take those things when they move, if they spend thousands on wallpaper and carpet when there are much cheaper alternatives then that’s on them spending so much on a property that isn’t theirs. It’s understandable those people want to make their house nice and it’s their choice to spend so much, but they have to be aware that they could be asked to move anytime therefore losing out on the money they spent on the decor.

@andyethereweare
you don't own social housing you are a tenant of the state subsidised by the taxpayer.

@Shannoncakequeen for PM 🙌.

You have totally nailed the housing crisis 👏.

Please, I urge you to put forward your plans to your LA. Failing that please, please apply for a job there. Why they have never thought of this is beyond me. 💡

@Luckydip1 I'm not suggesting you do own social housing. But I'm saying that why should there be an incentive to move out of social housing when there isn't any incentive to move out of other types of housing.

How are they tax payer funded if they are living in housing association rented property and paying their own rent, out of interest?

@Luckydip1

I am a tenant yes. I pay tax as well 😮.

No in all seriousness if those plans came to fruition I would just buy my council house. Then no one would get it at all. Many would do that, there’s not that many barriers at all now to owning your own CH.

Currently I am saving for a cash purchase for another house whilst waiting for some inheritance. Then this home will go back to the council for another family.

Yep!! 😂😂

Make people feel like the home they live in is totally temporary, discourage them from improving their home or, indeed, their life in any way.

Make them sign a contract 21 years in advance to say the moment their children leave home, they agree to become homeless.

Ahhhh... what a great way to improve society

Better be careful, Liz Truss might be reading this and getting some ideas.

How dare you have any savings @Dalaidramailama ... you must be a benefit fraudster. Give the keys back to the council right away, live on a park bench and think about what you've done wrong.

Agree OP but not sure how you solve this one.

My mum still lives in a council house she was put in back in the late 70's. We were kicked out at the age of 16/17 so she's lived alone in a 3 bed with large garden for 30 years or so.

Personally I think it's ridiculous as there are far more needy families out there and she's blocking a perfectly good house.