Page 3 | The Housing Thread Woman is NOT earning 55k p/a

donkeyderby · 2010-03-22T23:03:24+00:00

I am SO frustrated on her behalf. Why don't you lazy tikes read through threads before jumping in to judge?

LadyBiscuit · 23/03/2010 21:40

okay I'm going to play devil's avocado here but if you can afford £1500 rent a month then surely you can move to somewhere dead titchy for a bit and save six months' deposit? That has got to be better than being stuck in a b&b or hostel for however long hasn't it? That's what I'd do anyway ...

ToccataAndFudge · 23/03/2010 21:43

LadyBiscuit - you'd still have to be credit checked for the titchy place.........

LadyBiscuit · 23/03/2010 21:45

Doh - didn't think of that. Just seems insane that you can be earning that much money and not be able to rent somewhere!

butterscotch · 23/03/2010 22:09

Ladybiscuit my sentiments exactly! and lots of private rentals don't bother to credit check we've had 3 rentals none of them credit checked us!

I think personally the OP was quite agressive and came across pissed that the council wouldn't automatically house them at the end of the proces...however she was naive to think that would happen and obviously didn't get proper advise from the council/HA/CAB/Shelter.

Whilst it is a desperate situation to be in we all have to make scarafices to get what we want so if she had to rent a smaller house so be it, it happens lots of people can't afford to do things move to a cheaper area, we've all had to give up things.

Relying on the council to rehouse you when your obviously have some form of means is somewhat irresponsible and why should you get priority because you have four children? What about those that have one disabled child? shoudl they get bumped becuase the OP couldn't be bothered to research properly? Sort the situation out? Her DP was made redundant 3yrs ago then they both went bankrupt....see if either of us got made redundant (both currently at risk) we would do whatever it took to save our house, be it one working days one working nights in minimum wage job etc...We can only afford to have our hosue with both of us working full time whilst I appreciate that having four children childcare may outway income there are waysa round it working doing Avon etc... its not a lot of money but its better than nothing...

ToccataAndFudge · 23/03/2010 22:13

I've had 2 rentals in 1yr. Credt checked for both of them, thankfully didn't need a guarantor for this one as the LL was happy with the Rent Assistances "checks" they'd done as well as the credit check that the Letting Agent did on me.

ToccataAndFudge · 23/03/2010 22:15

and if you read properly you'll see that they're currently rentng, absolutely fuck all you can do to "save your house" if your renting and have to leave.

And it's not as easy if you own your own home to do anything about it - believe me - I've been there.

shinyshoes · 23/03/2010 22:17

we are on a combined income of £35K in this house and get the bog standard amount of £35.00 a month ctc. (3 children)

Although this is doable, its not an absolute fortune.

The council WILL NOT house her whilst she has a roof over her head, she literally has to have her stuff in binbags before they'll give her the time of day.

I sympathise She should be given a council house regardless of income

LadyBiscuit · 23/03/2010 22:22

I absolutely agree that the council house shouldn't be means-tested. But I would have hoped (possibly very naively it might seem) that if you had a very good income, then the fact that you had a rubbish credit rating would mean that you wouldn't have to go through the 'taking your possessions to the council in binbags' stage. I would do anything not to put my kids through that. Maybe there really is no way round it though

shinyshoes · 23/03/2010 22:28

couldn't she have the children looked after whilst she spent the day (or 2) at the council offices trying to get accomodation (probably a hostel).

Kids are kids, as long as they have food in their bellies, a cuddle when needed, kindness from others and a bed to sleep in, temporarily it will not affect them in the slightest

(long term, it will not affect them in the slightest)

Hostels are such short term

ToccataAndFudge · 23/03/2010 22:30

I wouldn't want to live in a hostel for any amount of time.

The main one round here is a "hotel" (well used to be) and is rive with drugs and alcoholics. I know of someone that was stuck in there for over 6 months with her DD who was just a baby.

LadyBiscuit · 23/03/2010 22:32

Oh fuck no way would I want any of my kids at a hostel. The one I was at was grim beyond words. And I think some of her kids are old enough to remember and presumably at school which is only going to add to the trauma.

shinyshoes · 23/03/2010 22:35

but if its a choice between private renting (which shes barely able to afford)

OR a hostel for a few weeks then a council place (a hostel in LBH is 2-3 weeks max)

I know which I would rather stick out.

The children can stay with relatives a few nights a week.

They wouldnt even know/care

confuddledDOTcom · 23/03/2010 22:36

I've never understood this attitude on MN that council and HA housing is for people who "need it"

I live and work for a HA, I live in the middle of an estate where the average house is £8m, we have estates (not this one!) where you have to be earning a minimum amount and a key worker (for those that don't know that phrase, a key worker is doctor, nurse, solicitor etc).

I chose to live in HA and TBH whatever I was to earn in the future I would not ever want to live anywhere else!

shinyshoes · 23/03/2010 22:37

not everything falls in peoples laps, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

I'm sure they will not be 'damaged' beyond repair for the fact they spent a couple of weeks in a hostel.

Looking back they'll see that their mum did all she could given the circumstances

LadyBiscuit · 23/03/2010 22:40

But the council place may be shit beyond words. The place I got was hard to let. It was on the 5th floor of a sink estate, bare boards, no heating, no lifts. There was a paedophile and his wife (I'm not exaggerating) living on one side and a drug dealer on the other. It might be a roof over your head but there is no way I would have wanted to bring up kids there. Fuck, I got out as soon as I could afford a private rent. If I were earning 50k a year, there is no bloody way I'd live there.

shinyshoes · 23/03/2010 22:40

I wholeheartedley agree confuddled.com

i'm council and we have a combined income of £35k.

there are 5 of us in a 2 bed, we are due to be rehoused (soon hopefully) and we are looking to buy the next one.

flame me if you like but this is our only way on the housing ladder

ToccataAndFudge · 23/03/2010 22:43

shiny - if you're a family it's very VERY rare that' it's just " a few weeks" - months is more likely, even longer in some cases.

Would you want to go and live with your children, somewhere that ou could be stuck for months, in a room, with drug dealers and addicts living in the same building as you?

And if you do get offered somewhere you can almost guarantee it will be a shit hole, the woman I know was given a house on the same street as a little boy died in an arson attack on his home (well someone set fire to the bin - which was right next to the house). Again an area rife with drugs and crime, somewhere that I was so scared to end up with my children I ended up in the insecurity of private rental.

lisad123wantsherquoteinDM · 23/03/2010 22:44

we get £40 a month ctc and earn no where near £55K a year!! wish we did, then maybe i would have more than £20 left a month in my purse after paying the bills

ToccataAndFudge · 23/03/2010 22:46

LadyB - sounds like the place my brother was offered years ago in Edinburgh, he was homeless, and they offered him a 1 bedroom groundfloor flat.......when he went to view it the windows were smashed and there were needles on the floor inside the flat.

Thankfully back in those days (was mid/late 90's - can't remember exactly when) you could turn down one property (but HAD to take the 2nd) without finding yourself back to square one.

He did turn it down and was then offered a 14th floor flat, it's ok, but I nearly shat myself walking back from the bus stop with the DS's 2yrs ago when I went up and it was evening.........and I used to walk to the local shops at night in Harare (Zimbabwe) in my late teens..........

shinyshoes · 23/03/2010 22:47

toccataAndFudge.

Are places like this seriously?? I thought they were wardened/manned

ToccataAndFudge · 23/03/2010 22:49

yes there are places like this, I guess some of them are ok..........but I think it's "postcode lottery".

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I remember watching an episode of "Secret Millionaire" last year (or the year before?) and nearly sobbing my eyes out at families, not in homeless hostels, but in "temporary" accomodation, they had housing people visiting them to try and sort them out somewhere permanent, and on the way into one of the "flats" (it was basically one room with a tiny kitchen off to oneside and an equally tiny bathroom to the other picking up needles from outside the door because there were young children living in the temporary place.

ToccataAndFudge · 23/03/2010 22:51

they may well be wardened/manned - but it's rather like pyschatric units in hospitals..........they're rife with drugs.

StayFrosty · 23/03/2010 22:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

skihorse · 24/03/2010 02:51

What really pisses me off about these credit checks on potential tenants is that these landlords act like they're god all-bloody-mighty, but where's the proof that they're actually paying the mortgage?

With so many amateur BTLs in trouble, there must be as many LLs defaulting as there are tenants, yet it's the tenant who's made to feel like a pleb.

expatinscotland · 24/03/2010 09:18

'And if you do get offered somewhere you can almost guarantee it will be a shit hole,'

I can guarantee it, too.

Our only positive to living over drug dealers and alcoholics is that, because they are in temporary housing and single, it's easy for the council to street them when they misbehave. Because this is their last chance. They're in temp awaiting accommodation. They screw up, behave anti-socially, and the council has fulfilled its legal obligation. As tehy are not tenants, they can be thrown out easily. I always complain in writing, so the office has proof if they need it.

Meanwhile, you wonder if they'll retaliate. Well, I really don't like people fucking with me and my kids because I don't bother people, and so I don't like them bugging me and copping an attitude on me.

So touch wood so far so good.