Social housing moral dilemma

53 replies

SolitudeIsHighlyOverrated · 27/11/2023 16:23

Last year a family member falsified details on their social housing application in order to better their chances of being housed - claimed that they had been evicted from a house owned by another family member and that they and their 3 children were all sofa surfing at separate houses and were therefore being denied the right to a family life.

None of this was true. They all still live together in the house belonging to the family member.

Both adults are in full time employment but don't want to pay private rent and don't want a mortgage.

The family in question have now been offered the chance to have a viewing of a new build social house with a tenancy to follow if they like the house.

This situation is not sitting well with a few family members as we all work within the homeless sector and know how difficult it is to get to the stage of being offered a house in our area.

One family member has now stated that he wants to mention all this at work to the housing team but I'm not sure that sits well with me either.

What would you do?

OP posts:

XenoBitch · 27/11/2023 22:21

I have a family member that was doing similar. Said they were sofa surfing etc, when they were actually living with their parents.
But... they were on a shit wage, and in their 40s. I can't blame them for playing the game to get some independence at that age tbh.
They now live in a small 1 bed flat, so not preventing families to any housing.

YorkshirePuddingBelongs · 27/11/2023 23:07

Banana1979 · 27/11/2023 22:14

@YorkshirePuddingBelongs you will be surprised in what housing associations are charging nowadays I am being charged £1350 for a two bed tiny housing association flat in London. Social rents are a thing of the past in newbuilds which is what they have been offered. It is Council rent which is cheap not housing Association which is what these people are being offered.

Edited

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Well in Yorkshire it’s a good £300pcm less than private. I imagine in London you are still paying cheaper.

And like I say it’s not about the price but the ability to rent privately - if you have a smidgen of an adverse credit history and no guarantor you’re basically snookered and HA are the only way forward

Dweetfidilove · 27/11/2023 23:08

Banana1979 · 27/11/2023 22:13

@SolitudeIsHighlyOverrated may be because the family they are staying with are going to lose their incomes as they probably charge them rent and have decided to report them instead to keep them put in an attempt to keep the income stream

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Bloody hell - actually plausible! Hadn’t even thought of that, but did wonder why it took a year to have an attack of conscience 😳😢.

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