Neighbours attitude to affordable housing

[Purplerain869]

I live on a new build estate which sits between a few other new developments, including one with affordable housing. When I and others in Phase 1 bought our homes, the developers had originally planned to use a second plot of land for a Phase 4 build. That never went ahead because sales were slow, and the land was eventually sold off to an affordable housing provider.

Now, people at the back of our estate, mostly those who bought after this was known, can see directly onto it. What’s really shocked me is the attitude some of my neighbours have about this. I’ve heard comments like “we’re living on a council estate now,” “they’re scum,” and assumptions that people there must all be “on the dole.”

Personally, I find that such a judgmental and unfair way to think. Affordable housing doesn’t automatically mean people are “less than,” and I don’t think it’s right to write people off based on where they live. Am I being unreasonable to feel shocked at how some of my neighbours are talking?

No you are not! It’s terrible how people can be so snobby of affordable housing. I have a block converted on my street and most my interactions have been really positive, the most heartwarming being one lady I chat to who is so grateful for her modest 2 bedroom flat because she escaped domestic violence which just her daughter and clothes she was wearing, police had to escort her to pick up more belongings - she have a small but lovely modern home and she thinks she is so lucky. Remember those affordable homes could be needed by any of us

@mamagogo1 this is my thoughts! My friend is a nurse and a single mum, she told me she love on the estate next to mine and the rent is half of what she pays which is still more than my mortgage.

Trying my best to hold my tongue to avoid the fall out but I feel bad for people.

Our ds and family live on a new build estate.
They were fortunately able to buy.
There are affordable houses near by.
Of these there is only 1 that is letting the outside look messy.
And are also very noisy and have lots of cars causing trouble.
Yet the first 4 of the private houses look terrible.
One of these has had the police around most weeks.

It doesn't matter if you own or rent. You get good and bad every where.

@Imfat i agree! Disappointing seeing some of the comments on estate group chat tbb

Anyone could need affordable housing at any time of their life - sometimes we just cannot predict the hand that life will deal us, we just have to make the best of it. I would try and focus on the positive... which is now that these individuals have outed themselves as bigoted snobs you know who to avoid in the future!

YANBU and for the 37% that say you are... they need to send their moral compasses off to be recalibrated!

Generally less affluent people reside in 'affordable homes'. I'd say there is a larger proportion of people who bring trouble in the lower percentile of net worth hence why there is such a poor reputation for social housing/affordable housing.

I live on an estate and the people in the three properties ear marked for affordable housing are the dregs of society, they bring nothing but trouble and cause misery to the rest of us, ASB, drugs etc, so my opinion of affordable housing is not a positive one.

I expect the experiences of some of your neighbours are similar to mine, hence their negative outlook.

This. We lived here for 10 years in a very quiet neighbourhood. 3 years ago an affordable housing construction was built. I have a friend who lives there with her daughters so I'm not a "snob" looking down on anyone but things have really gotten worse with loud people out on the streets, cars driving really fast (it's a cul-de-sac), litter outside on the pavements and other antisocial behaviour. My friend told me it stinks of weed in the entrance hall in her building and once someone even pooped there (!). We are trying to find somewhere else to live... far from affordable housing.

There's a newbuild homes group and the comments about affordable housing in there are terrible but then they'll question why they had to pay £500k for 4 box rooms, there's no understanding with them that the lack of council housing and bad housing policy is the reason they've paid £500k for a house with tiny rooms...

I live on a new build estate. There are 7 houses on my street which are affordable housing. 6 are really quiet. One house did have lots of parties and noise all hours. But complaints to the housing association stopped this. She was just excited she had her own place. Now really quiet or will post if having a party which is not often. She was young and learning.

but the most expensive owned house on the estate is next to me. They are a nightmare. Dogs barking all hours. 5 vans from their business badly parked in the street often making it difficult to drive round the corners. Garden a mess and feral kids. They don’t care and no one to complain to. We have complained to them but it came with threats.

I think it’s jackpot who you live next to

I know I’ll get flamed for this but here goes.

I live on a new build estate. It has a certain % affordable rent managed by a company put in place by barratt homes who built the estate. All labelled on the site plan. Fine. No issues.

late 2022 and truss messed up the economy. Barratt couldn’t sell the houses quickly enough for their liking so they bulk sold a load to a different social housing provider. They didn’t tell anyone this. And nor should they. They can sell to who they like.

within two months we had drug dealers on the street, a child shot with a BB gun, numerous nasty kids shouting and swearing in the street, climbing on other people’s fences etc, parents drinking in the street, police round. Any time the weather is good we hear arguments from one family that sound drunk.

in short, those of us who bought our house before Barratt did this share the views of people in op’s post. It isn’t what we signed up for and we can’t sell our homes coz the first thing you see when you google our street is a news story about a kid being shot. We’re saving up to account for the loss we will have to make to move out.

no problem at all with social housing and affordable housing. The families in the homes managed by whoever Barratt gave the original affordable rents to have never been an issue. We wouldn’t ever have known Barratt had sold to the other housing association had their tenants been pleasant to live around and we wouldn’t have cared but about 50% of the families are god awful to live near.

the neighbours have no right to be annoyed so long as the neighbours are reasonable. The minute they behave poorly the neighbours have every right to complain. It isn’t what they signed up for. And I know it’s not all social housing tenants who are unpleasant and I know private owners can be unpleasant too but it hasn’t worked out this way here.

I hate myself for being a snob but I would never buy a new build again for fear it could happen again.

A builder near us built a new estate on the of town and their affordable houses were still around £600k the other houses were about 100k more.

Cue a lot of local chat about unaffordable affordable housing

I would never pitch my vardo up near 'affordable housing'.

They're filthy - leave their rubbish all over the place, defecate in the street, feral kids, horses tied up all over the place, the list goes on.

I personally prefer a nice, quiet 'up market' village. But that's just me. Each to their own.

I think you've had a bit of a sheltered life to be "shocked". These views expressed by your neighbours are common. I've lived in many different kinds of places all over the UK, including living on three council estates, and the anti-social stuff has invariably happened on the estates. Read newspapers, watch the news. Also your neighbour is perhaps worrying about house prices coming down, understandably.

I think there’s no smoke without fire.

MIL lives in a new build estate, in a nice house she has bought. There is affordable housing down the road. These houses stink of weed, are messy outside and have constant gangs of children playing outside all hours causing nuisance (setting fires to the playground, climbing trees etc).

But isnt that what ppl wanted For social housing to only go to the most desperate

Never has the phrase be careful what you wish for been so apt

I have a single pensioner friend who lives in a social housing flat Had his toilet replaced on 11th August, it has been leaking, they come back , do a tweakment and it leaks again. Four times he has waited in ALL DAY because each time its an all day call to fix it, Now he is facing having to do that a FIFTH time ALL DAY, because its leaking AGAIN. If he was working his job would be in jeopardy by now. And he would likely have to cancel the kitchen refit they are doing next month, which THEY say will take ten days because if working he would have used up a weeks annual leave.

The housing sector prefers those who dont work or are retired because it fits round the way they like to do things

It's why I wouldn't buy on a new build estate.

This.

I heavily sympathise. The block joined to my block of flats is affordable housing. My block is a mix of shared ownership and full ownership. Whenever there’s a slight problem in the blocks, there are a certain few that immediately jump to conclusions that the problem stems from the affordable housing block, vast majority of the time it’s nothing to do with anyone there. One guy in particular has regularly called them scum and he’s a primary school teacher. Takes a lot of self restraint to keep my mouth shut

Well this didn't pan out how the OP intended 🤣

To clarify we’ve had zero issue with the existing affordable housing. Am pre my point was already there before ours were built so if they had an issue they didn’t have to buy on estate. The ones that they have finished building we have also had zero issues with either. They are just choosing to call them names for living in affordable accommodation.

If we did have to be issues highlight above then that’s a different issue but also has nothing to do with affordable housing as one of my neighbours that bought their 800k home regularly has drunk parties till 4am