Woman with 1 child being evicted from her 6 bedroom council house ....

[Disenchanted]

Im really torn over this.

It was in my local paper.

Obviously as someone who waited 3 years with 2 children for a 3 bedroomed council house, who had to sleep in a single bed with DH, DS1 and have DS2 in a cot next to us in my mums box room I think its right that this woman should be asked to leave her home in order to house a family that needs it.

There are currently 507 'large' families In South Manchester waiting for a 6 bedroomed home. All who actully need 6 bedrooms unlike this woman who on;ly has 1 child.

However that is her family home. It was her mothers home who had many children and was justified living there, the tenancy was passed onto this lady when her mother died and now there are only her and her son years later.

The reason Im divided is that my granny lives alone in a 3 bedroomed house, she has lived there for over 40 years and by ratios if a 2 bedroomed house is too big for two then on the same principle they could move my Gran out of her 3 bedroomed house.

But I dont think they should IYKWIM. Shes lived there years.

When I needed a house I complained constantly (to myself not the council obviously) about all the old widows/ widowers living in 'family homes' but they have every right to be there.

Or do they?

Should 1 person be allowed to stay in a 3 bed house?

Should this woman and son be allowed to stay in a 6 bedroomed house?

She has been offered a 3 bedroomed house BTW, but not in her 'area'.

To me it seems obvious the woman should be moved but then where does it end IYKWIM.

If everyone stays put for 40 years no wonder there is such a lack of social housing

FAQ - they should have moved her on much earlier

as I said earlier they should spend some money making all the empty council houses (many of which are now in a terrible state as they've been left empty so long) habitable.....

and let's face it: there will NEVER be any change to private rental tenants because it could unstablise the BTL market.

so that won't happen anymore than councils building lots of socialised rental housing in good areas. or at all.

private rental tenancies.

The blonde - you obviously did not read my earlier post. She has been there for over 40 years and has paid full rent - so more than paying for the house and maintenance over that time. As I said earlier she could have exercised her right to buy when the lovely Thatcher lady gave her the chance in the 80s, but chose not to and the house will once again be available for someone else to rent in the future!

Frankly expat, one of the best things that could happen to the UK at the moment is to unstabilise the BTL market - but you're right it won't happen.

Er where the hell are all these empty council houses because for the 2 years we were homeless i can asure you there were no empty council houses, or do you mean run down houese that need doing up to be able to live in? as these were also being done all the time where i lived.

unstabilist the BTL market - what and end up with even more people that are desperate for housing????

I can't find the document, but when this was last discussed on MN I found some data on empty/rundown council properties - the figures were really quite shocking.

FAQ if that is true that is bloody shocking, but i also believe it depends on the area & if there is a waiting list, like london for instance there are huge waiting lists with people homeless, if your telling me there are suitable housing but they are sitting there empty then this is truly discusting & maybe they should be looking at this problem instead of turfing people out of there homes because they don't suit there needs.

chopchopbusybusy - I did read your earlier post thanks

FAQ, the BTL market is one of the reasons why the housing market in the UK has been pushed so artificially high.

So,the blonde, which part did you not understand?

There are many council owned properties that are forgotten about. There was a recent story of an entire road in South London that was passed on due to 'squatters rights'. It was owned and neglected by the council for over 15 years, an entire road of houses worth £200'00 ish, it's absurd.

there was a thread on this very recently.

I think that there needs to be a wider range of council properties available, Mum and dad opccupy a house that's probably too big for them but there are no suitable alternatives- I am certain they would accept a bungalow but all that's about is flats on estates miles from town (they don't drive and have mobility issues which severely restrict how far they can walk). private renal not an option as they were victims of pension collapse.

But a mum of one in a six bedroom is of course OTT.

help must be offered to those moving of course- unfair to say off you shift, now you have to find £900 for removal van for house move you never wanted.

yes hatrick council pays for all maintenance and repairs

Hatrick it varies- Mum and dad waited so long for repairs / upgardes theye nded up doing it themselves (had to install heating as only one room was heated and we all had to sleep in it during the winter- 5 of us).

And yes there are empty houses- there were 11 sitting empty I knew of back home, just on our estate.

THEBLONDE you said ... If everyone stays put for 40 years no wonder there is such a lack of social housing.

But where else are they meant to go?

Council housing is there for people who cannot afford private renting or afford to buy a property from the go.

I am so thankkful for council housing as without it I have no idea where I would be.

But you say it like people should wait for a council home then move on after a few years?

I can't ever see us being able to buy a house, maybe in time we might look into the right to buy on this council house but Im not convinced we would be able to do so.

So we may stay here for 40 years and we have every right to do so.

phew glad I wasn't imagining the empty property problem.