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.

Disenchanted it is not so difficult to rent privately, why would you not consider that and leave the social housing for those in real need?

Devil - it can be difficult if you don't have the money spare to pay for deposit, removals etc

I am in real need. Like I said DH works full time but is on a very low income, we pay the rent, council tax, electricity and gas (we are on meters because we need to be able to just put money on when we have it and be strict with the electricity and gas if we dont, we cant have a bill plopped on our doorstep each month as theres no guarentee we wil have that 'lump amount' to pay them')

By the time we pay that and get shopping, nappies ect we have pennies left over.

We have only just last month taken out home insurance because before we couldn't afford it but we decided its an essentail so have budgeted even more to do so.

I think we qualify to recieve council housing. We pay our rent never miss any payments but its difficult.

Sorry it sounded a bit harsh but I just think the attitude of 'we will never...' can become a self fulfilling prophecy.
A more positive attitude may help, you could tighten up more, take extra work, try to save for a deposit on a house.

Disenchanted - 40 years is more than a few years

Are the terms of council leases so much more attractive now compared to private rental leases? I suppose they must be

Also, when you rent privately, your tenancy is for only 6 months at a time.

Then it's likely, especially in this market, you will be asked to move on.

Who has money for two moves a year? Not to mention, with kids, changing schools, surgeries, dentists, etc.

And if you have an SN child, you have even more to sort out, particularly with school.

council/HA tenancies are assured. you can stay as long as you like, the blonde.

private rentals are 'short-assured'. once the six months are up, the landlord can give you two months to find somewhere else to live.

I'm just asking why not aspire to more, rather than complaining about the handouts you are getting and doing nothing to lift yourself out of it?

because devil - if you're already budgeting tightly, working extra hours and have nothing left to save you know you're never going to be able to do anything other than live in social housing.

My grandparents were in their late 70s when their council offered them first pick of a new estate of sheltered one-bedroom bungalows to move out of their large 3 bedroom council house.

They were pleased to go, even though they'd lived there for almost 50 years; and were very happy in their bungalow. And I suspect a family with children was happy to have their old house.

That's how it should work. People should be given a reasonable alternative, rather than being forced, but the housing should fit the need.

Thanks Expat - I can see why private rental isn't attractive at all

LOL!

You know, Devil, for a lot of people, they can work ALL the hours God sends and still never be able to afford a single home to buy.

Because everything, even ex-council, is 6x+ what they're earnings are, and their bills and rent are so high

But you somehow think it's 'aspiring to more' to rent privately and live with the constant threat of needing to move?

Do you think council housing is rent free?

Because it isn't unless you are on income support, incapacity benefit or income-based JSA.

expat- would just like to say I have just given my tenants a 3 year lease!

pmsl at 'lift yourself' out.

spoken like a true Thatcher child.

that could apply to a lot of things in life, depending on the person.

so i'll stop right there.

I guess (in some respects) I'm lucky that I'm "renting" this house from H - I'd never get anywhere this nice, this cheap around here - and I know althought we've drawn up a proper 6 months tenancy agreement as long as I'm still contributing to the mortgage he's not going to kick me out.........as then he'd have to sell - but he can't afford to buy anywhere else.

expat - I'm a "Thatcher child"........so duly voted Labour when I'd just turned 18 in 1997.........how I regret it now

wish i could find that, ped!

i've only ever had 6 month short-assured, which the landlord can renew.

several other MNers i could name right now live holding their breath, waiting for the letter to drop on the matt.

at least, with our landlord, we know how things stand, and he's willing to help us out when they get back and put the house on the market.

expat I meant saving up for your own house, because a mortgage is possible for most people and surely better than paying money out on rent to someone else?
A friend of mine was ditched when her baby was born, but has pulled herself out from living with her family and in council housing to owning a small but lovely house. It's not ideal but it is hers.

I know lots of people need council housing, that is fair enough, but I hate how people see it as a right, or a life choice and then complain about what they get.

No it is not rent free, but it is heavily subsidised, and certainly in my area there are people living in it that don't need it whilst others are pushed from bedsit to hostel on a list.

I understand where devil is coming from. some people can change their circumstances, my friends lived in a 3 bed council house with their 4 DC's

They could not afford to but in this area so they moved further up North, they rented privately while they set up a franchise(with borrowd money) they now have a thriving business and are able to buy there own house.

They have achieved this in 3 years, so I know not evrryone can do this but it is possible.

Dh and I changed career completely and now run our own business which has enabled us to but our own house and BTL properties

''pmsl at 'lift yourself' out.

spoken like a true Thatcher child.''

Expat you know fuck all about me so don't even pretend to by insulting me like that.

because to be able to save you have to have at least some disposable income........and £5 a month isn't really going to get you very far with current house prices is it

Devil, do you realise how much the average 'home' now costs in relation to median wages in most areas?.

I mean, do you really?

Do you understand why the number of first-time buyers has dropped to a record low?

It's because it's become increasing NOT affordable for an increasing number of people to buy their own home.

That's one of the reasons the market is starting to slow in some areas.

And you know fuck all about a lot of people who are now in council housing or who are on wait lists for socialised housing - which also includes housing associations, so please don't insult people liek that.