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).

FYI to those who probably don't get this; living in social does not equal being on benefits. The block of flats I live on has ten flats and 9/10 of those tenants work and are not on any type of benefit. The people on benefits are because one has mental health issues and cannot work. People keep on say rents subsidised by the tax payer: we are also the very same taxpayers subsidising our rents. The area I live in four bed council /HA flats can be as much as £220 a week not the £300 a month being thrown about on here.

Social housing is available for everybody, no point having a go a people who went on the waiting list and were offered the houses / flats based on their need. Houses / flats are not just given Willy nilly

Social housing is available for everybody

@feistymumma Based on my Dad's current experience, that's simply not true. He's not eligible, because he has a work pension and savings.

So has he lived in rental accommodation before?

If I was in social housing the only thing that would tempt me out would be to buy. (In fact it did!)

Anyone who leaves a social tenancy for a privately rented tenancy are mad!

Without knowing his current housing situation its impossible to judge.

Yes, he doesn’t owe a property. He can’t manage in his current place anymore, he needs a small retirement flat and will have to pay for it fully himself. The council can’t help him.

I'm not blaming the council, they simply don’t have enough flats to go round and he has abit too much money. But it annoys me when I read on this thread about people who now have pretty high incomes who stay in their council accommodation. Although someone staying in a theee-bed house obviously isn’t preventing my Dad from getting a small flat!

*own

In some places social housing is much easier to get. Usually in places MN people would turn their noses up at.

@Doris86 your last sentence says it all. I don't know why you're beating around the bush.

So the solution is to build more one bed starter home /flats With a communal garden

so that those who have a 3 bed can downsize

As you're probably well aware it'll depend on how your local authority manage housing applications for people over the age of 50/55 (assuming your Dad is over this age of course !)

I've seen some extremely generous approaches to people making housing applications for 50+ accommodation including disregarding savings etc etc... but this will all be determined by the stock in the area. Some (rural usually) areas will have a high concentration of bungalows designated for older people and so they can afford to be generous with who can apply to live there.

As is the case for everything it comes down to supply and demand.

I'm pretty sure a lady I worked with did this .. moved to a 1 bed flat and vacated her 3 bed house ( kids all grown and left and husband sadly passed) I'm sure she was given cash. This was about 10 years ago in Cornwall.

So the solution is to build more one bed starter home /flats With a communal garden.

so that those who have a 3 bed can downsize

Definitely.

It was shortsighted that they didn't foresee this issue decades ago instead of dreaming bedroom tax out of the sky.

Maybe social tenants wouldn't be so harshly judged if the system worked, always easier to blame the average worker just trying to get by instead of the people who control the housing sector.

A flat in a tower block?
If yes she was mad to do this.

Good for you being in a position and privileged enough to move around so much! So because you've had a few different homes it means we all can, should or would want to? I could say your uprooting so many times is ridiculous.
What an arrogant and ignorant comment. Some homes are for life believe it or not.

@ladygindiva @romdowa Downsizing incentives are still offered now in lots of Housing associations and local authorities.

In my experience, the money is only ever the cherry on the cake for someone who would have likely moved anyway. For most people a lump sum of cash is likely to be little incentive to move to a smaller home (usually losing their lovely garden).

Though for older people who are struggling to maintain a large home, downsizing is often very positive and practical.

@romdowa The housing market in Ireland in general is horrendous private and social housing.

Downsizing isn't an option as there is nothing available yet older people are heckled online, in the media, sometimes in their area for using a 3 bedroom home.

Agree. @Threelittlelambs wins the thread this evening for posting the most ludicrous and arrogant comment!

Haha no, we are rural. It was a flat in a building of maybe 12 others,all seniors, with a lovely communal garden and personal balcony! She was very happy about it.

Or change the system to build more social housing and prevent existing social housing getting into the hands of private landlords

This. ^ London many have a 7 year wait for social housing, maybe longer, but I know someone who got a 2 bed house after just 9 months on the housing list. Yeah she was moderately overcrowded - had a boy and a girl aged 11 and 5 in a small 2 bed flat.

But she wasn't overly desperate or destitute, and she got a 2 bed HA house. In a nice area too! Her 2 bed private let flat was £625 a month, the HA house is £365 a month! As a pp said, because it was a much more affordable rent, she didn't need to claim housing benefit and could afford the rent on her own.

Sounds perfect.
Only similar thing in my city are places with a warden. They are hard to let due to the high service charges.

London MAY have, not London MANY have. Typo sorry!

Same here. Nowhere to downsize to yet you have clowns saying "move on" someone else can have your house now. Absolutely mental.

Yeah, if someone buys their 'right to buy' home, and gets it for say, £70K, even though the market value is £140K, then they if they sell within ten years they have to give the extra £70K back to the council.