Jeremy Vine - people are morally obliged to downsize and free up property

[JoanThursday1972]

Currently have this on the radio. Suggestion is that people are not entitled to remain in and live in the house that they have bought and paid for. That they should downsize and free this up for more deserving occupants, ie families.

This is surely a personal choice and not an obligation? Anyone is entitled to live in a house they have bought, regardless of size.

Council house - yes.

Home purchased or privately rented - no.

Simple.

Perhaps.

The bigger problem is empty properties though.

Why should social responsibility be confined to social housing tenants? They’re as entitled to their home as anyone else.

Same around here. Unless you want a bungalow with a loft conversion and stairs (a house) you're out of luck.

Downsize to where?

There is a massive shortage of smaller properties, which is why young people are having such a tough time getting on the ladder. I have no wish to live in a 2 bed terrace or, horror of all horrors, a retirement block. Bungalows are as rare as hens teeth and cost nearly as much as larger properties due to demand.

And also,why should I? I came from extreme poverty, spent most of my life just barely making ends meet, now I'm older and in a better financial position I'm not giving up my 4 bed detached for anyone. Even if I did, due to current house prices there are very few young people who could afford to buy this house in this location so it doesn't exactly help anyone.

And the argument that I could move out of area to find somewhere cheaper is also a false economy. If I move away from all my family/friends then I'll need more government support as I get older anyway.

There are millions of unused buildings going to rack and ruin in the uk, the government should insist builders restore/convert them all to affordable housing.

Try getting anyone to do that, who pays their own way tbh.

The bedroom tax is effectively a reduction in benefits for those with excess space. If you're not on benefits it doesn't apply.

You're already effectively taxed on having a bigger house than you need via Council Tax as you'll typically pay more than if you had a smaller property.

There are many derelict buildings and huge empty office blocks in the UK and have been for decades. Many of them owned by companies, both in UK and abroad. These could be renovated and made into homes, near city centres, for individuals and families.
The thing that would make a huge difference, IMO, would be to stop foreign nationals from buying up properties and either leaving them empty, or renting them out at huge rents.
Near where I live, 3 huge empty office blocks have been turned into flats, there has been a massive building programme of new houses of varying sizes. Still, many of the flats are empty because they are owned by overseas buyers.
In many countries, foreign nationals are not allowed to buy property, or, for example in Malaysia, a foreign national can buy one residential property for their own use.
Brown field sites should be redeveloped. That this has not been done in any sort of organised fashion is a scandal.

My nan lived in her council house for over 50 years, she raised her children and grandchildren there. I do not think she should have been forced to leave her home after my grandad died, that would have been cruel. It was a 3 bed house and she'd regularly have family coming to visit and they would stay in the spare rooms anyway.

My problem is with people who insist on having more than one home, especially "holiday/weekend" homes. They should stop being so greedy and just stay in a hotel if they want to spend their holidays/weekends in Cornwall or wherever.

you’ll only get them out by taxing them out. Ie a bedroom tax for private properties

How nice. So you pay a mortgage all your life, pay tax on your salary, spend a few years actually owning your houses and then you get taxed on being old. Because that’s what it is. A tax on age. Such ageism.

If builders and planners were forced to build a mix of properties in areas then more people would downsize.

My PIL downsized. They lived in an area where they could move from a 5 bed house to a 2 bed bungalow without leaving the area. They kept their community around them.

My GP’s didn’t because all the properties around were 3/4 beds. To downsize they’d have lost their neighbours, their local friends, the shopkeeper that knew their habits etc.

I don't know who your quoting but Council Tax is essentially a 'bedroom tax' bigger the house bigger the tax.

that is absolutely disgusting and your family should be ashamed
I think this this attitude is more disgusting.

If you're more annoyed that average people have affordable housing than the rich having multiple houses that stand empty half the year and kill off local communities you're part of the problem.

No, not morally obliged. But my ex in laws have just upsized to a huuuge property in their late 60’s and early 70’s. It’s got 5 bedrooms. I don’t really know why, not to mention they are already struggling to do all the decorating it needs…i find that weird and strangely greedy although each to their own. I will def be downsizing when I get to that age. However, it’s not like any young families in the area would even be able to afford a property like to be fair, so 🤷‍♀️

All people should have housing they can afford, but not subsidised by the rest of us for 50 years.m

pay your way like everyone else (well, the majority)

it’s this sense of entitlement that screws everything up

I remember it as people's gardens, & I have a politician in mind. I'll see what I can find, but google doesn't always do the business with older stuff.

In what way is it subsidised?

The fact that social housing doesn’t make a profit isn’t the same as it being subsidised.

Its not free for tenants.

We're not in the slightest bit ashamed. My grandparents lived through WW2, their city was flattened by bombs and their house was a so-called temporary build that they were entitled to. They both had disabilities and serious illnesses and one of their grandchildren was profoundly disabled, they weren't wallowing around in the lap of luxury. They're both dead now so they'll no longer be inconveniencing all those so much more deserving people okay?

But the quote was about private properties not council properties.

pay your way like everyone else (well, the majority)

But how can people accumulate housing wealth like we have seen in the past particularly with wage stagnation?

it’s this sense of entitlement that screws everything up

Yes the economic problems are because of entitlement...

We are a couple (late 60's/early 70's) in a four bed detached house. I would love to downsize into a bungalow to make life easier and to accommodate DH's mobility issues.

However, the only 2/3 bed bungalow in our area to be sold recently went for more than the price we would get for our house, such is the demand for them around here. So we stay where we are.

I should add that we use all of our rooms. Our bedroom, a spare /guest room for the times we have overnight guests (about 3-4 times per year), the room which was DGHs office when he was working and which still functions as an office space for us both (computers, printer, filing for domestic paperwork and space for all my hobby stuff) and bed 4 is DHs TV room so he can watch interminable rubbish (mostly football) on his own without inflicting on me.

It's not free but the rent is cheaper than average and we have lifelong security. We're very lucky.

I live in social housing. It's £500pm for a 2 bedroom flat. Private rents for 2 bedrooms are £700+ here.

I feel extremely lucky to have my flat. I do not view it as my "home for life" and that's why I won't ever buy it despite me having right to buy. I was given this flat, when I was in desperate need as a teen mum, and when DS has moved out permanently then I will downsize to a one bedroom. I want someone else who is in my position to benefit the same way I did.

I'll be downsizing just after the royal family and the collected upper class / capitalists do. The royal family alone could rehouse half the homeless in the UK - at least.

They DID pay their way thank you very much. My grandafther served in the army during WW2 and after that was over spent the next 40 years of his life as a labourer, probably worked harder than you've ever done. Even after he retired he spent most of his time volunteering and helping his elderly neighbours with odd jobs and gardening for free - out of the goodness of his heart. How fucking dare you sit there behind your screen and call them scroungers - fuck you!