To think this is a ticking time bomb (people priced out of housing)

[Batmanisreal]

It’s becoming clear that there is a problem with people not being able to afford housing like they used to be able to. This has been made worse by the introduction of right to buy by Thatcher in the 80s which reduced the numbers of council houses. The price of housing is going up and up, so more people are having to rent on the private market.

So what happens to these people who are privately renting homes, when they get to retirement age? If they can’t afford their rent?

I was lucky enough to be able to buy my house. I have young children who, by the time they get to the age I was when I bought my house, will probably not be able to afford to buy like I was. There’s a very big chance they will have to rent, possibly for the rest of their lives.

People who rent on the private market are at the mercy of whatever rents the landlords want to charge for those properties. And with more properties being rent out as short-term lets this is only going to make the situation worse.

I worry that we are heading for a situation where elderly people will end up on the streets, because there won’t be enough affordable or social housing to supply them with housing if they become homeless in the event of them not being able to afford their private rent anymore.

As a parent, I just find the whole situation so depressing.

Because many people don't want to downsize and you can't just take their property away for the greater good. They did that in Stalinist Russia and it didn't improve housing a single bit except now 6 families shared a 5 bedroom flat. You can imagine queues for a bathroom. That's if there was one at all!
My grandmother lived in her three bed flat since 1962. It's her home. There was a plan for her to move in with my aunt and she tried it for a month but couldn't settle. She wants to live her last years in her home. My cousin is renting a room from her and there is a spare room where family stay when they come up to the city for work, studies or holidays several times a month so it's hardly underused.

He told her it’s to avoid being placed on the register. Why would a landlord sell up to avoid this unless dodgy? We already know he didn’t get a buy to let mortgage on the property because he brazenly told us.

What makes you say that people who can only afford HMO are not net contributors? In my 20s I could only afford HMO but I have never claimed any benefits, used my GP twice in 10 years and, aside from using TfL, didn't really put any burden on public funds at all. I would estimate that I was very much a net contributor.
Not everyone who lives in HMO is there because they are not contributing. Often they are there because they don't pass estate agent's income threshold. Or because they don't fancy forking out 80% of their salary on rent and bills, because they want to have a semblance of quality of life or, indeed, because they are trying to save money for a deposit on their own property.

Trouble is the poor sods who have to share with them who don't have a choice and often don't realise they'll be living with animals until after they've signed the contract.

I agree. My DS is definitely a net contributor as he has a reasonably well paid graduate scheme job, but he has to live in an HMO because he can't afford the rent for a one bed/studio flat, the rents being utterly extortionate.