To think council housing is really unfair??

[Helpmechooseausername]

I totally get that some people need to be housed by the council, but AIBU to think that the system is abused - but it seems to be his the system works?

I know of two families who have lived in their council houses for years and raised their children there. They needed help when they first moved in, and so were quite fairly given council houses. But, now the kids have grown up and moved on. The parents both have got jobs, nice cars, holidays, go out for meals, etc., etc.. They can continue living in their council houses for the rest of their lives.

It seems massively unfair. Is it really not means tested?? Surely the houses should be given to other people who need them? How can it be right that they aren't told to move back into the private property market?

I feel a bit like when I stand in a queue in a shop, waiting to pay, while people come in and just take what they want without paying or queuing!!

And yes, I'll admit that I'm jealous! I can't afford to do any nice things for my kids and I, despite working hard, and it seems to be because I chose to own my own home and get a mortgage instead of getting a council house!

Did we really get an OP who thinks council houses are free? Fucking hell. I thought we had stamped that out years ago.

We're saturated by these threads atm. Go find something else to do ffs.

Social housing is limited supply. To service the largest number of people it should be a temporary option to allow people to get back on their feet and then move on. A five year term would achieve that and enable a greater number of people to be helped. In exceptional circumstances a second five year term, max 10 years. This would enable the largest number of people to benefit from a limited supply of social housing.

The population of the UK has increased from around 56 million to 68 million since Maggie Thatcher introduced right to buy,- so although over 2 million houses have been sold under right to buy it doesn't tell the whole story of the UK's affordable housing crisis. Successive governments have failed to plan and provide adequate housing for our population. The short termism of government probably doesn't help.

Labour hoped to build a million houses over 3 years I believe - while nearly a million people net came here in 2023 - so the million houses over 3 years would barely keep up with the increasing population - assuming they are actually built.

Population Data
https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/gbr/united-kingdom/population
Right to buy info
https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/right-to-buy-past-present-and-future/#heading-7

I think it’s easy to be resentful when council housing is in such short supply. Undoubtedly there’ll be people on the waiting list much more ‘in need’ than your friends. However, doing ongoing assessments of someone’s need isn’t very practical. Moving people in and out of housing based on their salary that month (or even year) would be a total farce.

the lack of council housing isn't the fault of people who live in council housing...

A family member has a council house. It's been adapted for their disabilities. Stair lift. Walk in shower/ wet room . Where would you expect them to go. They're late 60s now.
They pay 380 pm for their 3 bed house. It's not a lot no. But they also don't have much due to disabilities.

It would cost loads to re house them and adapt another place.

Why would you think that most of us will be entitled to housing benefit at pension age?

Nope! And it’s not our job to move out to let others move in either!

Glad to see Rayner is stopping the sale of council housing - what i would like to see is a way that councils would offer a deposit sized sum to people [council tenants] who want to downsize, or move, etc thus releasing council houses at say 10% of the cost of building one and the tenant could buy on the open market. [obv not practical in some places but in most it would work]

Because pension age qualifies that's why. And its not my 'thoughts it's fact pension age renters qualify and its not just council tenants. Its all renters actual so calm down.. i wasn't trying to be rude. My point was because we was talking about council tenants paying rent...

Never thought in my 50 years that there would come a time where people were jealous of SH. It was looked down on when I was a kid.

It gets wrapped up in concern for people who have an unmet need. But in reality, not one person protesting gives a tiny shit about those people in need at all. If they did, they would be offering to house those people themselves.

How many landlords have an opinion on here but still charge as much as they can to let out their properties? Put your money where your mouth is if you're that bothered.

How many threads pop up from landlords who have had a change in circumstances and need to evict their tenants? Nobody gives a toss about the tenant then do they?

It's hilarious.

Don’t you come on this thread talking logic 😂

that’s a joke btw I agree with you!

I have no issue with anyone in a council home but in the specific situation the OP is describing (i.e. 2 working people in middle age, not OAPs), then they would a have to afford the "extortionate" rents in the same way everyone else renting has to, with the added benefit in that they could (should) have saved a huge amount of money over the 20 years they were paying a reasonable rent while their peers who weren't lucky enough to get council housing struggled to pay "extortionate" private rates

Perhaps they wouldn't go on holiday as often or only run one car, for example. Yes that would be a bit shit for them, but it's a bit shit for everyone and at least they would have had years living more cheaply.

@gamerchick hear hear

Sorry 😂

next time I’ll say something very heartfelt but with no consideration for how the world actually works, and I’ll get really angry (then I’d fit right in)z

What happens to all these middle aged people thrown out of social housing! ? What landlord is going to rent a properly to the semi retired or those with possible mobility problems?

the age group you are all baying for the blood of are likely to be cruising towards pension age….landlords won’t want to rent to them, won’t want to adapt their premises to cope with age induced health issues and certainly won’t take them if they rely on benefits

I think one big problem are that 2 systems are colliding:

• system one is there to get people, especially those with children, into a warm, safe house, when everything goes pear-shaped. Jobs are lost, health crashes around you, parent becomes ill or dies. Family with children will be struggling and needs a house.
• system 2 is keeping people in the same house long-term, to allow them to build a proper home, somewhere that they belong, somewhere that's theirs long-term,

Problem is system one requires lots of housing to be freed up relatively quickly, so that whenever a person or family falls into difficulty there is a home for them. It means that people should be given a set amount of time to get a job, manage their money, buy only essentials and save up enough for a deposit on a private rent, then they should be expected to move on to free up the house for another family in need. System 2 means the opposite, it is treating the people more humanely in a way, because it recognises you can't just solve everything in a few months and move up, but the 2 systems clash badly. You can't move people swiftly through a system if they are not ready. Also it discounts the long term barriers that people with health problems or drug addictions etc, often actually face to getting back on their feet.

Yep I agree. Council housing should be there for people who desperately need it. We also shouldn’t have the right to buy scheme. If you can buy a house move out and let someone else in who needs a home. It’s a total joke .

I think you misunderstood the point op is making. Shes talking about ppl who abuse the system and it makes it harder for genuine families or ppl in need. Its not jealous to start a debate about piss takes
No one likes a piss taker after all...

There are more small flats available than large houses. Hence why families are being crammed into one bedroom at the moment by the council. A retired couple can be moved into a one-bed flat.

Nobody will move onto private rented

wale up…. Landlords are not doing repairs, throwing people out with 6 weeks notice…. Nobody will throw themselves into that position. Social housing covers the basic need of SECURITY.

and no HA/council expect them to either. So all this ‘should be means tested’ drama is pointless

In a high rise?

who is moving them?

Perhaps, if it has a lift. Not necessarily.

How do people normally move house?

It’s private landlords you want to be annoyed at. Buying up all the cheap ex council houses, hiking up the rents so there’s less social housing and less housing for first time buyers which means private landlords have a near monopoly and there are no cheap houses for people to get on the property ladder. It’s landlord greed that has caused this. More social housing is the answer to most poverty in this country.