To think councils should move people to smaller properties when kids move out?

[Faithin]

There's a huge lack of 3 bedroom social housing where I live (and everywhere I think?)
a lot of the people living in the 3 bed places are usually just 1 or 2 adults as the kids have grown up and moved out. Meanwhile there's lots of young families overcrowded in 1 and 2 bed flats with no garden etc
aibu to think those that actually need the space should be in the houses and those who don't should be made to downsize?
as the waiting list is so long, what tends to happen is peoples children are in their teens by the time they are moved into a 3 bed property, the grow up and leave within a couple of years and the parents stay, so the vast majority are under-occupied.

On another threadvm somebody wanted all social housing to only be allowed basic utilities and food ,so obviously we should all be naked too 🤷‍♀️

You are aware many tenants pay their own rent?
And before we go back to the old subsidised housing chestnut, in many parts of the country social housing rent is comparable to private rent.

What makes you think that social housing = housing benefit?

We need more decent social housing built. We have had it drummed into us that social housing is just for those in poverty or low wages. This is not the case in other countries in Europe and was not the case pre 1979. But hey that's crazy mad communism isn't it !(not)

Completely agree

I dunno, I understand what your saying but

My parents owned their own home ( well, mortgaged ) it's an absolutely beautiful property. Then, when they split up my dad refused to pay the mortgage, my mum couldnt afford it on her own ( single woman, 4 children, 4 bed house ) she worked as many hours as she could and she still couldnt afford the £800 a month mortgage

She had no choice but to sell the house to the council, they let her continue to live there and she still lives there now with one of her adult daughters

She technically has 2 spare bedrooms, but we all visit, all stay over, the grandchildren visit and stay over. And it's all of our families home. I'd be really upset on my mums behalf if she was forced to move out of the home shes spent the last 25 years in so another family could move in

It may well be a council property now, but it's still all of ours home

Its so shit that after the budget that is showing the total landgrab the government is doing that will only benefit the top 1% of earners, that people are even discussing whether council tenancies should be less secure

I was in social housing for 23 years and received precisely £0.00 in housing benefit. I worked FT, DH worked FT.
Save your sneers for the private landlords that get the housing benefits from their tenants.

When it's being funded by housing benefit it kind of is

Except many people in LA housing work and pay their rent. So, it kind of isn't.

It wouldn't help her financially as 1 bed flats are the same rent as 3 bed houses. All social housing properties in each council/Housing association have the same rate

People's lives change! Women & children escaping domestic violence, house burnt down, lived in adequately sized privately rented house for years and suddenly the landlord sold etc etc etc

Don't be so judgmental!!!!

That's quite a unique set of circumstances though. In fact I hadn't realised you could do that!

@MessyBunPersonified I consider my situation far from ‘shit’, thanks for that though. Of course social housing ‘rent’ is subsidised, it’s usually under £100/week which is paltry. It’s ridiculously entitled to think people get to stay in as pp said ‘the biggest house they’ve ever needed’ forever and pass it down just cos… why, exactly? Cos that’s nice for them? We cannot build the housing stock to meet that need and once we’re at a point where some people get super cheap or free housing and can stay forever and pass it on once they die, then housing needs to become a right and EVERYONE gets access to it. But we won’t, cos people who once needed help get in and hog it and never leave so that people that need it NOW are cramped into tiny flats or genuinely shit (unlike my nice 2 bed rental home 😘) hostels and bedsits. Those people should be ashamed, and I would be. It’s taking something from someone who really needs it just cos… I’m alright Jack, ultimately. And ‘there are no 1 or 2 beds available’ of course there bloody are, but shock horror you might have to stand on your own two feet and rent or buy yourself, which people should well be able to do after years of cheap housing. But after the luxury of lovely subsidised secure housing why would someone consider the general good and other people; fuck women fleeing DV with young children, eh. You keep your lovely 3 bed with a garage and a big garden cos ‘ohhh it’s my home’. 🤮

No they aren't.
I've just looked what's available on our local council website and the 1 bed flats and 3 bedroom houses on the same estate are different prices. The house more expensive.

Jolly good. Maybe you can enlighten us to how it's subsidised. Nobody else has been able to in the decade I've been on here.

@Ahbisto Every time a tenant moves out of a council or HA property, the flooring has to be ripped up by law. That's why PP said that about having no flooring.

There is no council house where I live that is under £100 a week.
As for "passing it down" are you referring to succession rights? When a person (more often than not, the tenants child) can carry on the tenancy when they die. I think it's perfectly fair for them to take on the tenancy if their mum/dad has died. Much kinder than just kicking them out of sometimes the only home they have ever known.

No they aren't 🙄

May I ask, why are they blocking her swaps? I'm trying to swap for the same reason. Worried now!

@ChelseaRobertsofMalibu I'm well aware that things change and I do believe that where possible people should swap homes with families. I was simply sharing what the people being forced out of their homes would say to someone slating them as selfish.

That there are criticisms made on both sides and that the fault actually lies with the government and the system.

Why do you want access to social housing when you have your lovely 2 bedroom rental?

I did flee DV and spent almost a year in a reduge (and then got a lifetime tenancy on my beautiful 4 bed home 😘) so I know what its like, but why the hell would Inow leave my home that I've spent thousands doing up, to live in a smaller place that costs me more, and I would have to start doing it up again. I know your landlord is obliged to do decorating and carpets but mine isn't.

Council houses aren't subsidised, private landlords need to make profit, council houses just need to sustain themselves, so they aren't subsidised, they are just cheaper than private.

Why should you leave it? Cos having been there yourself, you know what it’s like to flee DV with young children and need a safe place to live. Yes the gov need to build more housing stock (and people need to stop selfishly buying their council houses for pennies thanks to shit Tory policies which allow it) but until they are, you are the reason someone in need doesn’t have a safe and secure place to live. Cos you’ve spent some money which you’ve saved thanks to super cheap housing doing some painting and decorating. I’d be ashamed to do that, but you’ve done well out of the current system so you keep milking it for all its worth.

Most of my kids still live at home, don't let the facts stand in the way of a good bout of jealousy though 🤣

@ofwarren They are if they're in the same HA. For example, all properties within my HA are £470pm. 1 bed flat up to 6 bed houses

Not where I am. The council houses are priced per bedroom.

And for the ‘it’s not subsidised’ brigade; you’re being pedantic. It’s always significantly under market rates; councils SHOULD make profit on people now doing well for themselves in order to be able to offer more support to people who need it. Short of moving people on then absolutely rents should be raised to market rates once people are earning an above average wage. People get to stay in their ‘homes’ but at least help the people they’re shafting by blocking up housing stock by paying properly for the privilege. And succession rights should be scrapped. Tenancies are only passed on to a tenant’s children where those children are adults. ‘Kicking them out of the only hole they’re ever known’ lord above, give me a break. They’re adults; they should manage to support themselves not love forever in (not their) parents’ house. No one is saying kick them out immediately; a year after the actual tenant’s death is more than enough time to source suitable alternative accommodation and get sorted to move slowly. And on the broader point of actually (shock horror) paying market rates for the place you live once on a decent income; social housing would still be a great option as it’s lifetime and you’re still not responsible for your repairs etc. Everyone’s a winner!