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 don't think that's true. Council flats are abundant almost everywhere. That people would prefer a house their entire life shouldn't factor into it.

we need teachers and police and nurses. Either we pay them a decent wage, or it goes with the job they get affordable housing
There are a significant number of HAs and LAs that already do this.

I’ve just sold my parents in law, council House. They bought it for 11.5K, and we’ve just sold it for 234k.

i think it’s fucking brilliant.

The council house i grew up in is now an HMO for students.

I dont understand why you would want older people to leave their homes and move into private rented. It would likely cost the country a lot more in housing benefit, so it would be pointless as well as cruel

I completely agree, I know three people who live in council housing. One runs a successful business earns £100k+, flys business class, another both adults work FT and they run a successful business from home as a sideline and are racking it in, a third has a property overseas which she didn’t declare and is looking at private prep schools for her son. I’m guessing they’re not the norm, but I think it’s scandalous that there is no means testing once you’ve got it, set for life.

Which is why social housing is more ethical and appropriate for everyone who has reason not to take a mortgage.

Council rents aren't miniscule, it's the private landlords that are ripping people off.

My sister and her husband have a council house they’ve had for nearly twenty years. Joint income of 75k. Rent of less than 250 a month for a 3 bedroom house. They’ve said they have to stay there so their kids will get the house when they die. The kids are grown up and so it’s them rattling around in a big, and objectively nice house with a garden at a time when that house could have kids in it. A family in need. My sister just laughs.

It's meant to be a home for life. I get the annoyance when a single person is living in a 3/4/5 bed house as all their kids have moved out. But means tested? No. My DH has a HA one bed, he got it after many months of being homeless (literally, in a tent, no fault of his, his previous landlord evicted him as he wanted to sell and he couldn't find anything in this overpriced housing market that he could afford on NMW/zero hour contracts).

Technically we could afford to move out now but this is his safety net and I'd never ask him to give that up.

My dad was exactly the same. They could have bought their house outright when my DF retired, but they didn't.

My DF wanted their house to go to someone who needed it, not someone who could afford it. And it did.

They need to stop selling them off.
The rent needs to be inline with the area. Not ridiculously cheap. People would then move and free them up for people who need them.

Property in this country is prohibitively priced, either to buy or rent privately. I don't know how people on minimum wage or thereabouts afford to live.
I don't begrudge people council housing, I just think we need more of it.

My partner has a council house. He got it when he came out of an abusive relationship as a single parent to a young child.
She's now in her 20s and long flown. He has a good job and earns a good salary. He still has the house.
It's his home and in his position I wouldn't give it up either, but morally, no he shouldn't have it anymore.

I can’t afford to save a deposit to buy and have to privately rent which costs me a fortune.
I have been told it’s a year wait on the council list.
I work full time as a single parent and would love secure housing for me and my son.
I know people who have so much disposable income because they have very low rent bills and security.
It feels unfair

I think it’s because most council flats are dire.

Stack em and rack em with maybe a gravel washing line area. Big rooms but nothing at all outside not even a one seat balcony or small grassed area.

More decent flats / apartments would encourage moves I think.

Covid has definitely also helped put people off having near zero outside space.

Not so. I see council tenants as a group of people with a specific set of rights under housing legislation that I don't wish to see removed to reduce a problem that could be solved by other means. I don't want them to have more rights than everyone else, I want everyone else to have the same rights as them.

Yanbu OP, it is a deeply flawed system but the biggest flaw in the system is obviously the selling off. I believe it is at the root of most of our housing problems in the UK now, the generations below the Boomers (of which I am one) have been right royally screwed over.

Maggie Maggie Maggie, Out Out Out!

Yes. One of my mum friends tells us she pays 200/month for a new built 3 room appt w her 2 girls and dp (who she did not declare or she wouldn't have gotten it). She lives very close to me. In our residence we got a family of four, both working ft in min wage jobs who rents a tiny 2 room appt for 1000/month. So yes, it does seem unfair.

I see it as a multi-faceted issue, but one thing that is clear is that in my area council rent is very far removed from private rent.
£1500 private rent for a 3 bed semi, I personally know a family, both work, 5 bed semi for <£600 a month...

Yes this. Our housing association flat rent is less than a shitty ROOM in Bristol. I don't think we're underpaying, I think other people are being ripped off!

That's a nice idea, but wouldn't be possible in any of our lifetimes. A more realistic solution will have to involve some level of shared compromise.

In our area there are no longer secure tenancies only starter ones that are reviewed every 5 years I think. We were lucky to get one of the last secure lifetime tenancies with succession rights and I’m very grateful for it

I think its so hard because there isn't enough council houses so if they where only given why needed it would free homes up for people struggling but on the other hand to throw someone out of their home seems harsh. I do think when people are in a situation to support themselves the rent should go up to market rate. I know a family living in a council house 3 adults working full time, reasonably paid jobs and their rent is £350 a month, private rent in the same area for same sort of home is about £800/900.

Just hazarding a guess that it’s because it costs an awful lot more (in time and money) to build or procure new stock than reallocate the existing homes to those who are in the greatest need.

A old school friend has a 4 bed. With garden rear and front, parking. £450 a month.

She was going to movie we was going to help her by using a works van. She was going to move to a 3 bed house rent would have been £700. Both housing association. She said no thanks I’ll stay where I am actually. As she’s on an older tenancy inherited cheapo cheapo rent.

In her case I’d argue matching her rent would have made sense to free up the extra bedroom and then increase the rent for the new tenant.