Offered council house in a not very good area?

[rhinnq]

I got a call today from the council to advise me that I have been offered a property.

The property isn't in a very good area to be honest and the rent is on level with a private rent.

I am not sure if I should take it.

AIBU?

Given the state of the economy, secure social rental is probably worth every penny. Apart from Windsor and Richmond everywhere is 'a bit rough' these days.... (i'm in a grotty bit of South London myself... ) chicken bones and deliveroo muggers skooters everwhere....

Her rent will be topped up either way. Council or private.

I agree. Sick of these people who aren't prepared to pay the market rate and waste money whilst decent people save. The system is flawed and will collapse. Karma awaits.

Everyone should pay the same rate.

Buying your own home is out of reach for a lot of people now.
How are you meant to save when half (or even more than) your monthly take home goes on rent?
Oh, I know. Cut down on the Costas and avocado toast 🙄

I will tell the NHS worker who lives two doors away from my friend on another estate that shes not decent ppl by pointing her to this thread Should go down well eh. 😐

Maybe try patience. Many people don't have high salaries in their twenties. Things take time.

First step is not to have children until you can afford them. WAIT.

Many people never have high salaries, and for lots of different reasons.

Like the key workers certain hypocrites were clapping for

Or the nursery workers that look after the children of those who tend to have higher salaries.

Or the cleaners who clean their houses.

I had to take the offer I was made or i would be off the list and they had no obligation to home me. My house was an ex grow house that was an absolute shit show to move into. They gave me a 'decorating pack' that consisted of 2.5l of white gloss. 10l of white emulsion and 15l of coloured paint. 3 bed house with 25 foot living room. 11 miles away from my daughters work and she isn't allowed to drive!!! I sucked it up and made the best of a crappy situation

Take it, you might not get another offer.

I don’t know ! You just pay 48 weeks rent a year🤷‍♀️

People don’t generally save longer than 2 years where I live in NW ….the average starter home 3 bed semi on a private estate is around 180 to 220 k depending on how ‘together’ it is …….most young people stay local and buy in their 20s …..my DD bought at 25 ….she already had 2 children….very similar for her friends and rest of young people in our family

You either can afford private renting or you can't. Am sure the private rental will be much higher.
If you refuse the house,you will be off waiting list.
I dont know why you are asking as you dont have an option really!

Take it.

Me too 😂

Yes ive never understood why ppl are happy to leave the children they claim to love to be looked after by people they have nothing but contempt for.

Shockingly, I had to rent a flat in a high crime area with a lamp post AND a bus route outside when I had nowhere else to live. I had to pay for it myself too.

With the news of imminent tax rises this thread is either a wind up or wins the most tone deaf award.

Yes, lots of people do save for a long time to buy their own home. However not many leave themselves homeless or in unsafe/suitable accommodation while they do it. If you have the means to buy then you presumably have savings well beyond the threshold for housing related benefits and could afford private rental so I'm not sure what your point is there? Also part of the reason why we struggle with social housing now is because so many social tenants bought their home.

I'm not clear on your point about rent though? Ops entitlement will be the same irregardless?

Im confused. How is it a council house if it was only purchased a few years ago? Are councils buying pr for rent now? (If so I had no idea!) if they are renting them out for almost the same as private rental value… you may as well rent privately and have more choice in where to live! Or is it an ex council house that is now being rented out privately by a landlord?

"Sick of these people who aren't prepared to pay the market rate and waste money whilst decent people save"

Which people are 'these' people?? The ones claiming the benefits they're entitled to? Most benefits claimants also work. You also cannot have savings over a certain amount without losing your benefits so if you have the means to save then you're unlikely to be on benefits long term. Who's saying that benefits claimants are wasting their money? Who wants to be living hand to mouth in order to get a few pound off the bru ffs.

Affordable housing is a massive issue because people's wages have not increased at the same rate the cost of living and the cost of accommodation has increased creating a huge discrepancy in cost vs salary.

"Karma awaits." Appropriate and affordable housing contributes to better health outcomes, better education outcomes, better child development outcomes, reduction in crime and disorder, improved mental health and overall a better economy. If you really think everyone should pay the same rate irregardless of their situation, means or circumstances then you will absolutely experience karma when you see the impact on the society you have to live in. You don't get to live in a nice civilised society without taking care of the most vulnerable and the less well off, that's just the way societies work.

I'd also question what you class as 'decent' because I wouldn't class the recommendations made in your post as remotely decent.

HA have to either buy or build their property in order to increase their portfolio of available properties. In many areas building new is not easy or possible so they have no choice but to pay market value to purchase private properties to then rent them out. Then they need to recoup that cost by inflating rent prices for tenants. It's driven by multi-private landlord/ second home owner greed in part.

But if you had the entitlements and knew someone was going to offer you an alternative that might have been safer for your kids would you have waited/ held out? Or do you think anyone claiming benefits should just be stuck wherever even though that means they're much less likely to actually sustain the tenancy they are given? Irregardless of support/ kids schools/ vulnerability/ previous trauma etc etc.

Honestly it's like some people are so fixated on feeling aggrieved about how taxes are spent that they forget there are actual human beings in challenging circumstances who are on the other end of this. If you want someone to be mad at be cross at government for not capping rent prices/purchase of multiple homes/ under cutting all our public services for years even before covid. It's not the person just doing their best to put a roof over their kids heads you need to be looking at.

Our council also has a company that builds homes..these are priced at market rent or sometimes a smidge below. The council also builds council homes ( a few a year I think).