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!

Tbf I can't see any council or housing association having properties big enough to house 9 children..

Who is ‘they’?

ours still offers massive right to buy discount as well as lifetime tenancies!!

who are you talking about?

There are very few houses of any description big enough for that many people...

I’m paying £900 per month,for a two bedroom flat. It’s a Housing Association flat, and I pay full rent. No benefit top ups at all.

Not that cheap. 😉

made to downsize to where!?? How??

just a flippant remark made ( again)

there are no properties! How do you propose downsizing happens. Took me 3 years to downsize from a 5 bed to a 4. Just moved in and another kid moved out but I’m not downsizing again!

Ideally it should be means tested.
I know people earning £70k and living very cheaply in social housing. Meanwhile we have thousands of young adults and families living in one room in hostels. It's frustrating.
I live in a village, it's very difficult for young single people to buy here unless they have inherited wealth. There are only a handful of private rentals and they are extortionate holiday let's. When social housing went up people didn't object because they could see the need.
However not one of the 50 houses went to local people. The new tennants were only allowed to apply if they were from a certain city. How is that fair?

There are no one bed council houses where I am. The only one bed houses are in a ‘pensioners’ complex and are as rare as hen teeth, there’s a huge waiting list for them. Also, there are very few council houses in the area at all! I think when you’ve lived in an area fur many years, it’s very difficult to move, your dr’s are here, friends, church eg.
Lots of people on here with young children complain about having no family support, that’s the same for older people…it’s easy to say people should move out, downsize etc, in practice, it’s not always easy.

I don't know did you ask why ?
Becsuse in most LA,s you have to have a local connection.

Then you are part of the problem. Morally bankrupt - you are happy for other families to struggle whilst living in a home that it too big at a knock down price.

If they’re made homeless, the councils have to rehouse them, if they have kids etc.

Morally bankrupt my arse. I’d lay money you’d do exactly the same in that situation.

Whilst I do agree, council houses are maintained through taxation, whereas home owners obviously pay to maintain their own homes. Once the mortgage is paid off, houses still cost a lot of money.

A council house is relatively stress-free in that sense.

So should @YouWillFindMeInTheGarden just move out into a 1 bed private flat, with double the rent, and no security of tenure? And probably badly maintained? Would you? Would YOU give up a secure tenancy for life in the lovely house you'd made your own, with an affordable rent?

LOL don't make me laugh! No WAY would you. The bitterness and jealousy is ooooozing from your post. As I said earlier, hate the game, not the player. More social housing needs building. Not people being thrown out of their secure affordable home.

So you think the pp should make herself and family homeless so that a larger family can move in ?
Makes perfect sense

How? I just said I downsized…. It took 3 years you get no help at all from HA you have to find someone to swap with ( mutual exchange) and the stress of it all is yours alone

literally here 2 weeks in smaller property and a kid moves out and in with a new partner.

so what part of a problem am I creating? He may well move back but there are NO SMALLER properties here to downsize to. So I’m not putting myself through that all over again for nothing

soz and all

People don’t have any understanding of how the downsize/mutual exchange system works

they prefer to just sweep onto a thread and tell people to ‘downsize’ like it’s the easiest thing to do. So ignorant

I agree in my street there are a mix of 4 HA & 1 council
where my nephew lives it’s a mix of council
owned Victorian style terrace and a few newbuilds HA and then mainly privately owned Victorian style terraces

you wouldn’t know that the council owned house were owned by the council

Yes, we asked, it was a scheme, part funded by the housing association and the LAs, to move families from the city to the new (beautiful) homes. Quite a few are families with problems and the police are there frequently now. Including armed units last year. Our crime rate has increased twenty fold. There was literally next to no crime in 20 years previously.
Massively unfair. We are a farming community but that does not mean that everyone is wealthy. The kids who work as farm operatives don't get paid well and are now forced to live at home ad infinitum.
4 houses were built for local people in a neighbouring village. That supposedly covered all need.

How does anyone see it as unfair? They will be paying rent until they die, and their rent increases every year. (Ok not as much as it would in private renting) once your mortgage is paid off you can retire. Your owned home is an asset.
Also wouldn't wish the process of getting a council home on my worst enemy

Assuming there are people in a one bed who are eligible to swap (mutual exchange) with me in a 4 bed….as currently that is the only way to ‘downsize’

HA/council don’t force or help anyone to downsize….you have to find someone eligible to swap with.

The main issue is successive governments requiring councils to sell-off housing stock, without providing sufficient plans or funding to replace it. Both my parents were raised in council homes, with working parents. It was the norm back then, and it worked pretty well, now we just don't have enough stock so far fewer people qualify.
My old flat in London was sold by the council in the 80s and it's now worth over £300,000. You need to be earning over 60 grand a year to buy that flat, and there are council tenants living in virtually identical flats in the same block. No one on an average salary can afford to live there - they have to find somewhere cheaper, i.e. more cramped, less well maintained, in a worse area or whatever.
It would be unkind to expect someone caught in the middle not to feel any resentment at all that they are living in worse conditions than council tenants, but paying more for it, and with no security. But the answer is more council housing, not to chuck people out once they appear to be doing a bit better - nothing in this life is certain.

edited for a spelling error.

But thousands and thousands of people did exactly that and paid the mortgages which were entirely affordable. As they are now, it’s just that the banks won’t lend. How many times have we heard that people are being turned down for £1000 a month mortgage when they’re paying £1500 a month out in rent?
Some people were idiots and overstretched themselves but, Even then they probably were still up on the deal for a good few years.

Absolute nonsense. I got 100% Mortgage.
Self declared in 2001. Bank of Scotland.

Far dodgy dealings were taking place before and after then.

Yeah but outside of London ex council houses are often not worth very much and are in deprived areas

Actually I know people who rent in private sector who pay less than council rent! It's usually someone has a house, no mortgage, and just wants someone they trust and like, rather than go on open market through agent.

I know someone who pays £450 pcm rent, for her 3 bed semi, which would be £900 with other landlords. The owners are rich, and never put up rent and they know her and trust her. Perhaps they are scared someone might rent and trash it. She keeps it immaculate. I assume they think it better to have a small rental income and capital accumulation, than sell and money in a bond/bank account.

She's not the only one I know paying below council rent with a private landlord. It's just luck and who you know.