Labour - social housing

[UndertheCedartree]

I was just reading something I got sent from Labour. It says 'Labour will - get Britain building again, with more people owning their own home and first time buyers given first dibs on new homes in their local area

Aside from using 'first dibs' which is a bit old fashioned and I'm not sure my DC would know what it means!

I'm surprised they are focusing on people buying their own home? Surely, the priority should be social housing to allow people to be able to rent and also have stability? At the end of the day many, many people won't ever be able to own their own home and if people could have stable rented homes, I would imagine less would want to own their own home?

That doesn't sound very encouraging from Labour when it's social housing that's needed. Houses are unaffordable for first time buyers so how will that work!

Hmm, I’m not sure whether it’s as daft as it sounds. Yes, we definitely need more social housing. But think about how many threads you see on here about people who have found the perfect house but it’s near social housing. 90% of the replies are telling them they’d be mad to go for it. If these are the people whose children are currently struggling to get on the housing ladder, would they want social housing even if it were offered to them? Or is their long term aim to own their own home?

Makes no difference if we are given "first dibs" if the houses are not affordable to begin with. And this includes supposedly "affordable housing" projects. If someone can commit to building properties that are 5 times the value of a median salary, I'd be up for that, otherwise it is all just sticking a plaster on an ever-growing problem.

First dibs? What a load of shit I’ll be taking the highest offer not the first one.

Home ownership should be aimed for as people respect their home and area if it’s theirs. If it’s the councils they don’t give a fuck and dump mattresses etc outside.

So everyone who lives in social housing dumps mattresses outside do they? 🙄

Brush up on your comprehension skills. The OP said first dibs on NEW homes, not existing ones.

There’s no better redistribution of wealth than trying to ensure that everyone can have full ownership of their own home/land. The housing market should be constructed so that anyone working can afford to buy, anyone not can rent from the state.

I lived in 4 council estates over the course of my life and I've never seen a mattess dumped anywhere.

I've had social housing since 1974, and never once dumped a mattress lol

I've always improved the properties I've lived in.

Where are these mattress dumpers? 🙄

First dibs? What a load of shit I’ll be taking the highest offer not the first one.

Actually, I think it’s a fantastic idea for those living in high Second Home areas like in Wales or Cornwall. It’s a serious issue that means local people are priced out of their local areas by those who can ‘offer higher’, leading to a decline in local young people wanting to stay in there area.

Home ownership should be aimed for as people respect their home and area if it’s theirs. If it’s the councils they don’t give a fuck and dump mattresses etc outside.

I grew up on a council estate, it was a beautiful place and people took a lot of pride in their homes. Those who lived there shouldn’t have less of a right to buy over someone with money who may spend months making mess and noise renovating, or leave it empty for months on end.

@Zebedee55 you're clearly not fulfilling the terms of your social housing contract. You should immediately remove the mattress from your bed and dump it outside. You're letting the side down.

We need to be more like places like the Netherlands where living in social housing is normal, I guess.

I know so many families suffering with private renting and they'd bite your hand off for social housing. They know they'll never be able to afford a house. I think my sympathies go towards them rather than those who wouldn't want to take up the offer of social housing.

Yes, I'm not sure how the 'first dibs' would work. I honestly don't recognise your view of people not giving a fuck. The few families I know who have been lucky enough to get social housing have as much pride in their home as anyone else. People probably more likely don't give a fuck when living in private rentals with rogue landlords.

Yes, you're quite right, it is on new homes! That poster confused me - doesn't take much!

I just can't see how everyone could ever be a position to buy a home?

Aside from using 'first dibs' which is a bit old fashioned and I'm not sure my DC would know what it means!

Sorry missing point of the thread but I find it odd that people expect younger people not to comprehend common phrases - not everything needs to be modernised. I say whilst being in my 20s so not exactly ancient

There was actually one on my street but I think they put it out pending the council picking it up - it wasn't there long. My street is a mix of home owners and private rentals. It was a landlord who dumped the mattress!

During the heyday of social housing building, land was cheap because there was a lot of it, including a lot of vacant land in cities created by WWII bombing. Building was affordable and income from social rents could be guaranteed upon make properties pay for themselves. That’s no longer the case: social rents are too low in comparison with the cost of land nowadays and they simply can’t make a unit of housing pay for itself in anywhere near enough time. Labour knows this, they can’t promise to build masses social housing when they know the finances don’t work and they’d be incredibly limited.

😂

But that's the point it's not a common phrase. It's something my 70yo parents might say! I just asked my 16yo - he's never heard it!

That's very depressing. I think people being able to have a safe secure home is something that everyone should have not just those of us lucky enough to own our own homes. How do they manage to do it in Europe?

To be honest it’s the other way round in my housing association house, I take immense pride in it because it feels as close to owning as I’ll get instead of being in unstable private rents, unfortunately it’s the housing association themselves that couldn’t give a fig about keeping their property nice

I’d be interested to know how they are proposing this will work. Maybe a help to
buy type scheme perhaps?

Also as someone who did live surrounded by a lot of social housing, I did see mattresses dumped and a general lack of care. The people were all pleasant enough and we never had any bother but they did fly tip.

Also it really grates on me. There are more than enough empty, abandoned houses, second homes, holidays homes unused shops and offices that could be utilised as living space instead of building on every bit of green space especially when we’re in a climate crisis and need as much green space as possible surely

It's crap, but not in any way surprising. Everyone needs to accept that the Labour party is now a labour party in name only. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the kind of approaches to politics relevant to reducing inequality and providing decent living standards for poorer sections of society.

That Labour party is over.

Renting causes an issue with pensions.

It "works" that your income drops in retirement if you no longer need to pay housing costs because you've paid off a mortgage.

If you still have to pay rent you need a huge pension or state support - expensive for the taxpayer