To think that there is a misunderstanding about social housing.

[Bitchesbelike]

On social media, lots of people assume that people in social / council housing are getting a free house and don’t work.

i grew up in social housing: my dad worked from age 15 to 65.

my brothers have worked since they were 16 and both live in social housing.

its not “free housing”: it’s rented, affordable accommodation.

Social housing was initially about affordable housing for the working class. But as the stock was sold particularly in the better areas, it can only house families with a much lower income now.

My DGPs moved into a brand new social housing home just after the war. Most neighbours worked. I lived in social housing and I worked full time. Many people thought my home was really cheap to rent.

It's still cheaper than privately rented homes and it is more secure.

Any new tenancies would be written with a contract which states periods of review, criteria to continue the tenancy etc.
I agree that current tenancies unfortunately couldnt be changed, as probably wouldn't be legal, but over time gradually there wouod be a shift to a new needs based system

Let's not forget you had a parent's garage to live in; that was being fortunate, not a choice. You worked two jobs to buy a home, that was an opportunity. There's people who make the same 'choice' to work hard, but don't get that same opportunity. We live in a tough world now with buying being off the table for a lot of young people. There are some who worked "really hard" in school but it doesn't always work out for a variety of reasons. You got your home in time, and now have a disability which I'm sorry about. However, not everybody has the choice that you say they do.

Forgot to say, dh and I also bought our own home, we made the 'choice' to save, which we were lucky enough to be able to do. We had the opportunity to buy the house, before it became a lot more difficult to do so. We had no support from family, and nowhere to stay and are fortunate that we had a council flat when we needed it, at a time he was in debt because of his turbulent childhood. I had to university, and worked hard, we both worked hard. What is choice, without opportunity?

A lot of posts on here about kicking ppl out of homes once they are under occupying but not one about evicting the druggies and drug dealers which would be a lot quicker. Very telling

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywgyg0zz5o

Not at my age, no?

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/29/it-feels-like-theres-no-communication-a-social-tenants-struggle-for-safe-housing

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/35181438/cupboard-council-flat-heroin-needles/

@Octavia64 not always. It depends on how long you have lived somewhere.
if you're in a old style tenancy it can be very cheap but newer tenancies are a small percentage cheaper.
I pay £1300 for a 2 bed flat, my neighbour that has been in her place 30 years pays around £500
And just fyi, I work, not in receipt of any benefits. I will never give my flat up because you don't get any security privately

Also agree.

Mine isn't. And never was. I'm in a HA.

Absolutely. I looked on the property availabe on the housing register in my area and a house that would suit my family is a whopping 260 a month cheaper than our current rent. For that amount it's a case of it's worth paying the small extra amount for what we have. I thought our rent was high but it seems not

Where I am it's 3500-3700 for a 3 bed

Completely agree. Families are in b&bs waiting for houses to come up. Its not right. It needs to change

I very strongly feel that council housing should be minimal and temporary. As soon as your youngest is 18 you move into a one bed flat.

What one bed flats? I have known single people be on the housing register for coming up to a decade now.

Also, you would have the 18 year old then sharing a room with their parents?
I didn't move out until I was mid 20s. My parents are in a council house.

Where are all these one bed properties that everyone should downsize to?
Why should council tenants have to live in a flat if they've always lived in a house? Council tenants are not less than.
I was brought up in social housing and was lucky enough to get a council flat with my dh and then a 3 bed house, but it was 40 years ago.
We then bought a house which had been a council house but was private when we bought it. We have now sold that and downsized to a park home.
I doubt anyone could do it the way we did now. Not enough social housing and everything far too expensive.

I was brought up in Council Housing with working parents.

Couple of points though, of course it is subsidised. The whole Housing Department at the Council is funded by tax payers one way or another, the income from rent won't cover the cost of managing all the properties.

I remember our house (and the whole estate) being totally gutted and brought up to modern standards in 1980's. We were all decanted out to alternative accommodation for about 3 months. The cost much have eaten up at least 5 years of the rent paid by my parents if not more.

I do feel that Council Housing should only be a 10 year tenancy though. Then renewed if you still require a house that size and have not breached anti-social laws etc. It's not right that someone can get a 3 or 4 bedroom house in their 20's and remain there for 70 years. (Using an example from our local area here, little old lady who had a big family now rattling round in a 4 bedroom plus dining room 'bedroom', been living there for over 50 years).

I'd love to move into a one bed flat. Unfortunately I can't afford the private rent even one beds and the SH ones are ring fenced for care & prison leavers or those otherwise deemed vulnerable, mental health issues, recovering (or not always) drug addicts. I'm not in any of those categories so can't.
But it'd be cheaper and better for me, so you find me one I qualify for and I'll be in it.

I have a friend paying £800 per month for a three bed in a desirable outer London borough. Single person, grown up children have left home. Lifetime tenancy. Private rental in the area for a similar property would be £2,500 a month minimum.

And the people who don't or can't work? Where should they be housed? Those who are working but can't afford private rents are probably entitled to a universal credit top up to be fair.

My stepdad stayed in the 3 bedroom ha house after my mum died. You could fit a family of 5 in it

Every time I look at property on the housing register for Ashford Kent there's loads of 1 beds

Not everyone lives there though. There is a huge shortage of 1 bed places where I live.

Where i live council housing at social rent is a third of the comparable market rent, its heavily subsidised.

Waiting lists are incredibly long and based on need, in reality you don't get a lot of families with adults working full time getting high enough up the list because others are more in need.

This is where the stereotype comes from.