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).

Yes but this HB goes from national government to local government and is infamous for being messed up in the process, especially the UC housing element. Whilst full rent comes from an outside source. No offence was meant to those on housing benefit.

@Blondeshavemorefun Also council tenant have much more personal responsibility for the repairs of the home. Big things like boilers, windows, electrics etc are handled by the council. But minor things like leaky taps, broken flushes, dodgey window handles, broken kitchen cupboard doors etc are on you to repair. As is all garden maintenance (unless disabled). Including fencing.

Why am I goady for thinking the housing crisis should have been improved long ago? It’s not a social housing bash at all as I’ve previously said I grew up in them until I left home at 19 and have many friends living in them too.
There are people that are exempt from my opinion like the disabled, however if you think your social housing property is yours and you can spend thousands on it then you’re a bit selfish. There are families with unwell children or parents stuck in a hostel while people like my neighbour live in a lovely big house and have never paid rent or taxes.
I just think it’s a real shame that the general lack of empathy from the public makes people feel their needs are more important than others. It’ll never be black and white because the government is a joke, but if they attempted an overhaul and got rid of the attitude of some families who think they can keep ‘their’ house for life it will encourage people to work harder and appreciate what they have. I don’t particularly want to pay £1300 a month rent to my greedy landlord but I don’t have a choice, I have a roof over my head and I’m thankful for that.

I'm usually in the people should downsize camp. I think I've realised how privileged I am to think like that after your post and I never use that word!

Honestly I'm just sending you positive thoughts. I hope whatever happens with you and your daughter it gives you what you need.

I haven't read the whole thread but generally I agree with you OP.

Now that social housing at a lower than average rent is such a scarce commodity, it should not be held by the same family forever no matter their income, and absolutely definitely not passed on through the generations.

My PIL live in a 2 bedroom house with huge garden in Suffolk on a protected tenancy and they pay less than £3,000 per YEAR in rent. Do people think it would be fine if that tenancy was passed on to either of their two 50+ year old sons who both earn over £70,000 pa?

This.
I live in a two bed house in a lovely area, dd left home. I've been in my home for over 30 years why should I be turfed out of my home? There are no places for me to downsize to in my area so should I be turfed out of my area too and go god knows where?

I live on an estate where practically every house is bought and they are nearly all elderly widows/widowers now, are you not bitter they were allowed to buy their homes on the cheap and pass them onto their families when they die? Who might also be single? Are you not bitter the councils didn't replace the houses that were sold?
This is my home not just a house!

It’s difficult. Part of me agrees with you that it isn’t right to have single adults in. 3 bedroom house whilst a family is overcrowded because there aren’t enough family homes. On the other hand, I don’t think it is necessarily right to be insisting people leave their family homes at a point where their children have left home and they are facing their later years and the struggles that can bring. Unless an area has singles housing in very close proximity to family housing moving will potentially mean having to leave an area where you’ve built up a community for somewhere new, not necessarily easy to do in later life. I also don’t think it’s right that by forcing people to move into single bedroom flats they would be denied the opportunity to do things like have family to stay over, lots of grandparents want the space for their grandchildren to stay and I don’t think that’s wrong just because you’re in social housing.

Ideally there would be enough social housing for everybody who needs it but obviously that isn’t the case and that is what makes it difficult. I suppose the needs of an overcrowded family for a 3-bedroom home probably is greater than the needs of an older person/ couple who have lived there for decades but that doesn’t mean it’s right to force a lonely older person to move away from the home and community they have known for the best part of their life.

We've had should have made better life choices and countless elderly people living in massive 4 bed houses.

You might not believe it but it happens, when you get social housing the housing association/council is supposed to maintain it to the manner in which you were given ,so I guess uts cheaper in the long run to maintain basic kitchens and bathrooms than replace parts of very expensive kitchens and bathroom, s they do also rip out carpets and flooring, I think sometimes it's because carpets might have fleas etc ,believe me it would have been a he'll of lot cheaper for us being given a house that was adequately decorated with adequate flooring even if it wasn't to our taste, but our house was an empty shell when we got it .

Totally agree

Talking out their behind makes these threads amusing. Will never not make me laugh.

Oh, just got a SH tenants should just work a bit harder. Nearly a full house.

I'm prepared to be flamed for this but I'm late 20s, single with two DC. We lived in a 2 bed SH flat for 5 years and signed for our 3 bed house July 2021. My rent is £520 monthly as opposed to £1450 equivalent on the private rental market. I have a life long tenancy.

One DC I suspect will be home very long term. Even if they were to move out the prospects of me moving out are quite slim. Even 1 bed private flats are approx. £800 monthly. The 1/2 bed SH properties are all in blocks of flats. Having done 5 years in a SH block of flats I will never do that again. I won't buy my home but I will live in it as long as I want to. I know where I am working full time on minimum wage I'd still be able to afford to live here. The security both in terms of tenancy/affordability and physically by not being in a block is the most important factors for me.

More social housing should be available for all, for as long as they want/need.

I haven’t read the full thread but my mum lives in social housing. I’m not sure if it’s the same in all areas but my mum has spent a fortune on getting her house up to a liveable standard. Over the years she has had to pay for plastering, new internal doors, skirting boards, damp treatment and many other things. She also had her garden landscaped as when she got the tenancy it had been used as a rockery and had a pond in the garden which she had to pay to fill.
If the council want people to give up their homes then they need to make sure the houses are at a reasonable standard so people can move in and not have these expenses. My mum is now close to retirement and would not be able to afford to bring a house up to standard.

Thankyou so much xxx

Could not agree with this more.

There's way too much division and none of the anger is being directed where it should be.

Should add I won't be so opposed to flats once 65+ to be eligible for the age restricted ones.

Yeah the “given a home for free” was a bit of a give away.

Who specifically? And what should we do?

People pay thousands on the house they live in because it's their home. They like to have a nice home I don't see why you should have to have bought the house to make it nice!

Bingo pen is poised man

Also lots of people have to move to more suitable properties when older, leaving behind memories. My Nanna moved to a warden assisted flat, hard for her leaving behind the home she raised her daughter and memories of her husband. But she had a great few years there before she died, she loved the community aspect and it was reassuring she had the cords to pull if she needed help. It was much more suited to her needs than the house with the stairs etc

I read a stat recently that said in the 70's 30% of England lived in council housing.
The figure is now 17%. You can thank thatcher for that, but the previous model from the 60'/70's was designed to give people life long homes in low incomes.

There just isn't the stock for that anymore, so although I find it hard to say people should move on, I don't agree with tenancy's being handed on when someone dies unless there is a child in the property and I think the rules for right to buy need to be a lot stricter and there is restrictions on the leases of these properties that prevent them from ever being rented.

The area I grew up in was a massive council estate, go on right move now and you will find a lot are being privately rented.

Very often families buy the properties with right to buy, sell that market rate to landlords and the same house is being rented back out within 5 years for 3x the rent.

Oh totally and I bet they have never actually stepped foot on a council estate in their lives but love a good goady rant!😅

Ah! I always wondered why people who are low on money get given empty shell without wven flooring. I saw few being emptied around us and the carpets still looked good just needed a clean.

@Shannoncakequeen Yes you do need permission for new kitchens etc which is usually given. However flooring , decorating, garden work etc can cost thousands on its own. @Brieandcamembert Home adjective
1.
relating to the place where one lives.
"I don't have your home address"