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!

I agree with this. Family circumstances/requirements should be reviewed every 5 years so families can move to a bigger house if they have more kids and older people can move to a smaller property when their kids have grown up and moved out. It shouldn't be one property for life. Family circumstances change. Councils should then build properties to meet local need eg: pensioner bungalows or family homes.

Definitely a government and legal issue so not their fault. Not means tested where I am, it’s needs based at time of application/offer. I agree that incentives to move out of larger properties should be higher and they should increase the bedroom tax. Also do more regular checks to ensure people are actually living in the properties and not sub letting.

Tax is not used to subsidise or pay for council housing upkeep or rent

I bet there's a fair few people on this thread harping on about how easy council tenants have it, who have never actually been in a council house.

I grew up on a council estate and got out as soon as I could. I wanted better for my kids than living in a damp, cold, house with a succession of very dodgy neighbours and extremely shit schools nearby.

Landlord pay market rate on their properties, pay the mortgage rate and premium, pay maintenance.

I am not playing violins for them, but let's not pretend the rent paid goes straight in their pockets

Council rates are much lower than market rates!

But you don't 'level the playing field' by making it more expensive and more difficult for people who are not inherently wealthy. How about regulating the private rental market more too, that would help level things out.

And yet many people on here think that’s fine and that’s their right.

coming from other countries this sounds weird. Seriously weird. Like if once upon a time you were poor you were given something that can never be returned even if you are now wealthy.

so could you buy property with your savings and rent it out? Or buy property with your savings for your dc whilst enjoying cheaper secure council housing for yourself?

why are people so determined to protect people with more money than themselves and demand these richer people should have more rights than themselves?

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!

Right here is where you fail to appreciate your advantage. Most people would prefer to own a home because it's an asset but lots of people do not earn enough to save for a deposit or earn enough to satisfy a lender that they can afford mortgage repayments. At some point your mortgage will be paid off and you will no longer have a bill to pay for accomodation. The same cannot be said for people living in rented housing whose rent will increase with inflation unlike your mortgage payment which will rise and fall in line with interest rates.

I think once the youngest not ND child hits say 25? Providing they have moved out people should be forced to downsize. More than the bedroom tax.

But first you need to build more suitable 1 and 2 beds. Houses and proper nice apartments with garden space, parking, balconies not grotty places.

Right to buy should have never happened or the money should have been one house sold one house built.

I also think maybe one spare room should be allowed maybe if there is enough housing stock in the area but one couple in a three bedroom shouldn’t be allowed and just as overcrowded are told to use a dining room a dining room should be counted when going for under occupation you can’t have it both ways.

yes but good luck to any government getting a policy through to make people vacate their property based on means testing. Cue the outrage re winter fuel payments, child benefit cap etc etc.

the minute people perceive they're having thing taken away from them, it all kicks off.

YABU - where would they go?

the issue isn’t people staying in council houses, the issue is lack of affordable housing. If your mortgage costs more then rightly so as you will own the property eventually.
if it’s a private rent and it costs more than council then the issue is rent prices and not the individuals who are in the council properties

They are humans you know, you can’t just move them around like chess pieces because you think it’s unfair

I think everyone should have those rights, private sector and public sector tenants both.

I think we're moving towards that, with the talk of scrapping s21 evictions. If that means fewer two-bit hand to mouth landlords who whinge every time they have to get the boiler serviced, and more large scale institutional investors, all the better.

I also think maybe one spare room should be allowed maybe if there is enough housing stock in the area

there's never enough housing stock in any area, that's the problem!

why? if you rent privately your landlord can chuck you out anytime, with notice obv.

Why annual / biannual means testing isn't introduced for council housing? Help is given when it's needed, but then it goes to someone else.

Depending on size there can be. We have an abundance of 2 beds. But nobody wants to downsize and a lack of 3/4/5.

A lot of elderly in the old 4 bed house refusing to move even when they were offered brand new 2 bed bungalows and moving costs covered.

people cannot get council houses these days, they are in very short supply hence the huge growth in private rented with people paying extoritiante rents to live in what are sometimes utter shit holes. People cannot afford even the cheapest houses round where I live, there are no council homes and BTL landlords buy up anything that comes on the market, cram it full of tenants. Also worth bearing in mind that if you do live in a council house you will pay rent until the day you die unlike a mortgage which is time limited.

You're right that social housing was meant firstly meant people on low incomes or in vulnerable situations. But the idea of social housing isn't just for the poor, it's meant to provide long-term stability so people can build better lives without the constant threat of losing their home. If someone improves their financial situation, that shouldn’t automatically disqualify them. Kicking people out once they’ve "done well" can trap people in poverty by making it riskier for them to earn more or save. Mixed-income areas tend to do better than ones where only people in poverty are housed. The goal should be to keep all rented housing fair and affordable, not to penalise people for doing better in life. Turning social housing and communities into a revolving door isn't the answer here.

thing is there are no one bed houses and very few council have one bed flats.

I don't think it can be means tested from my experience of two people.
One was a horrid man who drove a car with a number plate spelling the honour he'd received, not Sir another one.
Soon after moving into his council property, he bought a private three bed house with a mortgage, which he let to tenants.

Once the mortgage was paid off, he and his wife vacated the council place to live in the mortgage free one.

The other person told me, that she had already owned a three bed council house in the village, bought with a discount, forget the name of the scheme. She was approached by the local council to see whether she'd give it up for a two bed bungalow to rent.

She did that and not only did the council pay all expenses and make everything nice for her bungalow, they gave her a generous cash sum too!

So cash to move and cash from a cheap to buy one, that she sold. She was quids in.

If they were to be evicted, they’d be homeless. And then they’d be eligible for a council property again.

I think you’re getting mad at the wrong thing. The council’s have not built enough houses to replace the stock they sold under the right to buy scheme. That is why getting a council property is like finding rocking horse shit. Ultimately, how they spend their disposable income is their own business.

I note you acknowledge the jealousy. That’s fair enough, at least you accept that. I’d probably try to be more focused on improving my own life because Jealousy is the thief of joy.

I know so many people who are fraudulently living in council housing (mostly sub-letting) but less so in terms of being in the money. I truly believe in affordable housing, especially in big expensive cities but I do not understand how this system is sustainable. Council rent income doesn't cover maintenance costs, leave it alone replacing the housing stock. At the same time, you can easy find nice cars parked around council estates (at least near where I live).... The housing market is totally broken, both public and private and I don't know what's the solution, but clearly what we have now doesn't work.

I don't know the answer with this one. On one hand, my grandparents lived in their council house for 53 years, raised 5 children in it, paid rent, decorated and maintained it almost exclusively without council input - it was the hub of the extended family and I still dream about that house. They died 20+ years ago, and I remember painting their porch before a funeral so it would look as respectable as they'd have wanted. The chance was missed to buy it decades ago. The thought of them having to downsize in their difficult old age is unthinkable to me from a personal point of view.

On the other hand it's not the 50s, or even the 90s anymore. These properties are scarce now and there are not enough to go round. I'd rather families in need were housed as a priority. But I don't have the answer how to achieve that while maintaining some fairness and respect for people's homes.

The system is an absolute disgrace

You may be paying full rent but your full rent will be a damn sight cheaper than someone else paying private rent. I think the system is totally unfair, why should someone in a council house pay hundreds less than someone in private and they could have the same income coming in. I dont blame you or any other council tenants but the system is flawed.
My sister has been living in a council house, shes been getting cheap rent for years and now she's bought the council house for nearly half the market value! I believe they are changing the scheme very soon as she just got in with getting such a large discount. It does take the piss when others are struggling to pay 1600 rents and no hope of getting a council property or mortgage while paying such high rates. I don't know what the answer is. I know landlords where tenants piss off and don't pay rent for months and they are thousands owed so I dont think it's the case of greedy landlords. Over inflated property prices perhaps.

Housing management system is what councils/housing associations use. Knows who's in each house, what they pay/owe, what the target rent/service charge will be if someone new moves it.

I completely agree private rents should be regulated also. Many of the people coming to be housed is due to private landlord attitudes of well my mortgage has gone up £400 so your rent is going up to cover it.

UC, ESA on £90k no, PIP yes - its not means tested.