Housing

[mintyfresh]

AIBU to wonder why this huge crisis isn't being addressed by any political party before the election?

I was completely fobbed off when I raised housing as my most major issue with the local Tory candidate on my doorstep today. He couldn't have been less interested

The enormous waiting lists for social and council housing, overcrowding, young people/families forced into renting long term because of high house prices, breakdown of community because of multi-occupancy properties. These are all major issues for the UK and I have seen no real policies to address them.

The only interest politicians have is in whether they have made enough money on their second homes!!

We had, but we are in a HA flat now.

It's a first floor maisonette. It's riddled with damp. We had to spend thousands of pounds when we moved in because it was in a horrible condition and of course there was no cooker, washing machine, furnishings, etc. It has old storage heaters and it costs so much to heat at all. Worst of all, the downstairs, one bed flat is leased to the council to house homeless men, who are usually criminals.

But the rent is cheap, it's Band A, and we have debts as you must run a car to live here and to heat cost very very much, yet it is not really possible to do without heating as it is quite cold up here in winter.

My husband drives a mini bus for a local hotel and works in the hotel, doing whatever, when he is not driving.

The primary school where DD1 goes (DD2 will begin in August) is wonderful, though.

The people are very friendly and kind-hearted for the most part, more so on the whole than in Edinburgh, where DH and the DDs are from (sorry, no offense to Embra folks, this is just our experience).

It is more a community.

The children can and do play out.

There is only one secondary school for many miles, so many that some pupils board at council expense during the week.

So there are never worries about school placements or catchment areas.

This is why we stay.

My life here, 9 years now, has been very different from that of most Americans living in the UK.

I first lived with my husband in the council estate where Trainspotting, both the book and the film, were based.

We then lived in Leith, an ecclectic area of Edinburgh, in a HA flat.

We have always worked, but always been working poor.

There was a US military base here, so there are quite a few half-American and some American people here. The latter have been here for many years, and were never the very wealthy sort, so I can relate more to them.

But we went to my native country earlier this month.

And though there were many tears on leaving, and life was much easier in many ways, it was still not so easy in so many other ways, and too expensive for a family of 5.

What is for you will not pass you.

So this is our home.

We do our best to make it so - decorating, celebrating every day.

My children are now very much a product of here.

Other Scots I know might take offense, I know so because I have already experienced it, but there are some regional differences, IMO and IME.

Sounds lovely. I'm from round Edinburgh, so know Pilton/Muirhouse.

Situation sounds similar to us; we're skint, but place we're living is nice, and the local school is decent, and we don't have any worries/stress about DS getting in.

Zero chance of buying a house or anything but benefits outweigh drawbacks (for now).

It was Muirhouse.

9/10 Muirhouse Crescent, to be exact.

We came out here because a friend had a house at cheap rent as she and her husband were temporarily moving abroad to work for VSO.

But by default we found this life or it found us.

And now our children identify with it and, in many ways, so do I.

I've had some folks call it 'the simple life' and while it rankles a bit, I do smile.

Oh, keep thinking that! If it keeps you outta here, then good, more for us .

My MIL once she cried out over DD1, 'Oh, she's gone teuchtar!' But then, her own ma and da were about as 'teuchtar' as it comes.

And what's a teuchtar but a person, anyhow?

'I cut ya, ye all bleed red,' as my Papa always said

"If it keeps you outta here, then good, more for us"

I'll be back...

Heehee. Shopping opportunities are different through here.

Yeah... had a few holidays up west coast (Applecross direction) with family, so have a wee appreciation of the logistical hassles involved in getting people & stuff around that bit of the world.

If/when we come back we'd be heading for the lowlands; highlands are good for holidaying, but I've got trouble enough finding paying work where I am; no sense in making life harder for myself.

re. the "simple life"; I've yet to work out how to do complicated on a budget...

Most of working age eek out a living or one or the other goes to Glasgow every day.

That's just how you live.

Sometimes, it can get you down.

But one good day, just the one, oh, it makes it all worthwhile, IMO.

There's no place so beautiful.

We went East for holiday last October.

And it was drier, it was arguably more beautiful in scenery, how it goes.

But folk just weren't the same. You couldn't walk round just a'grinnin' and no one would think anything of that other than 'Hiya!' Folk were snidey-like.

This is as close as I can get mine to how I grew up, my Southern life 6000 miles away.

I dunno any more. I'm all of a swither.

But no place is perfect.