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Original poster

Does anyone live in a new build next to social housing?

84 replies

Fimbo · 19/08/2007 13:23

If you do please tell me its ok. We have recently exchanged on our new build and are waiting for completion. There is going to be 25 housing association homes on the development. Two are already up and occupied and so far one has a broken window (boarded up) and today there is a Tesco shopping trolley abandoned outside.

Eek (or am I being a snob!).

OP posts:
ImBarryScott · 19/08/2007 13:47

hi fimbo,

We live in exactly the set up you describe. Here, the housing association tenants are model neighbours, with neat gardens.

On the other hand, my new downstairs neighbour in our wholly private block is an utter twunt who has just been playing 50cent so loud our floor shook, and didn't even have the bolleau to open the door to me when I attempted to have a little word.

Excuse the rant, but in essence I am saying that neighbours from hell come in many guises, and you never can tell .

Original poster
Fimbo · 19/08/2007 13:50

I guess so

My parents neighbour moved to a very posh block of flats and the downstairs flat was let out, the poor woman's life was a misery so much so she moved back to a house.

Ah well time will see. My dh is furious at the moment about the broken window and thinks it is "lowering the tone". [snob emoticon]

OP posts:
NineUnlikelyTales · 19/08/2007 13:51

Hi, don't panic yet. Building sites are magnets for antisocial behaviour and it will probably all settle down when the houses are built and occupied.

ShinyHappyPeopleGoingNuts · 19/08/2007 14:10

Perhaps all the tenants of social housing should be relocated onto a remote island so as not to lower the tone of the neighbourhood for any home owners who are unlucky enough to buy a property with a mile radius of them. After all, we're obviously all the same. And private home owners obviously never break their windows; even accidentally.

nutcracker · 19/08/2007 14:14

Fimbo, did you not realise this before you brought the house ??

All new housing developments now have to build a percentage of the houses for social housing schemes.

Tbh it is impossible to say wether you will have any trouble or not. I am a social housing tennant and a very god tennant, keep my self to myself, don't let my kids run riot around the estate and keep my home clean and tidy etc etc.

Some of my neighbours leave a bit to be desired, but tbh I think you'll find that on any housing development and with private or social housing.
My dad lives in a road of all brought homes and he has some awful neighbours around him.

Original poster
Fimbo · 19/08/2007 14:18

Yes, we did realise it before we bought it, tbh its not really bothering me that much, it's dh who has got a bee in his bonnet about it.

As I said we are probably been snobby about it, but why can't the HA just get it fixed or does it not work like that?

OP posts:
barbamama · 19/08/2007 14:20

We've just moved from a new development for this very reason. A small minority of the social housing tenants AND renters from buy to lets (which is just as much of a problem I think) made the place extremely unpleasant for everyone else - other owners, part-owners, full social housing and renters alike. Though I have to say, I never saw any of the people from fully owned properties (or their kids) causing problems.

It's luck of the draw I think - you just have to hope you don't get any nightmare people moving in. And to be fair, the local police and community support people are cracking down on it. But it is annoying when you've paid a fortune for your house and you have people with no respect grafittting on your fence, letting their dogs shit on your doorstep, playing loud music at night, parking in your drive etc. In our case the problem was exacerbated by the fact that the housing trust housed a few well known "problem famillies" amongst everyone else (who were fine whatever type of housing)in a development in the middle of nowhere with no public transport links so it was quickly full of bored teenagers. If your development has some facilities, public transport, things to do etc I think it might be less of a problem. Good luck.

nutcracker · 19/08/2007 14:20

It depends how it was broken I think tbh.

If the occupiers broke it themselves then they probably have to pay to get it fixed themselves, we do.

If it was broken by somene else then i'm not totally sure, it varies from HA to HA. If the HA are going to fix it though then they will take their time, it's what they do best.

Tutter · 19/08/2007 14:21

last house was in a new development with a significant proportion of social housing

we naively thought when we bought that it meant lots of lovely nurses and teachers would live there (affordable housing) but in the event there was a pretty undesirable element, which meant police patrols because of some ASBOites

would make me think twice about buying new homes again tbh

Original poster
Fimbo · 19/08/2007 14:21

I can't recall either seeing a broken window where I lived before for 6+ years, this house has only been occupied for 2 months. Tbh I couldn't care less who lives there or what they do, it just looks crap a big boarded up window.

OP posts:
Original poster
Fimbo · 19/08/2007 14:23

I think the houses are supposed to be own a part ownership scheme.

OP posts:
ShinyHappyPeopleGoingNuts · 19/08/2007 14:24

I wonder Barbamama, do you feel you can tell just by looking at tenants, which of them own their social housing, which of them are paying rent, and which of them are in receipt of partial or full housing benefit??

What a talent.. it is oviously a type of psychic ability. Wow. [respect]

nutcracker · 19/08/2007 14:26

Good point Shiny.

Original poster
Fimbo · 19/08/2007 14:26

Oh Shiny don't be like that. Are you a social tenant?

OP posts:
ShinyHappyPeopleGoingNuts · 19/08/2007 14:27

Obviously. With a huge chip on my shoulder about stigmas.

MyTwopenceworth · 19/08/2007 14:27

Fimbo.

change your name, have plastic surgery and move to Peru.

They're coming for you.........

.......Oh, before you go, it is a bit snobby and reads like you(r dp?) look(s) down on people. You're going to get kicked right round mumsnet!

And now Wednesday's lottery numbers....

ShinyHappyPeopleGoingNuts · 19/08/2007 14:28

No not Peru.. there are lots of poor people in Peru. Fimbo's husband would surely object..

MyTwopenceworth · 19/08/2007 14:30

I did not know that.

But I live in social housing and am igornemnt.

Original poster
Fimbo · 19/08/2007 14:30

Cheers MTPW. I don't care tbh. I admitted it was snobby.

OP posts:
barbamama · 19/08/2007 14:30

We would never buy new again either - and our old development has nightly police patrols now for that reason. It is a difficult issue as everyone has the right to live somewhere nice and bring up their kids and clearly ghettoising people in council estates is outdated (though I have to say I know people that have bought ex-council flats in traditional old fashioned council estates in London that were far better run and more pleasant to live than our development). But the system, as it stands, doesn't work I think. The people that buy the houses (and pay the extortionate service and maintenance charges) resent it when they see SOME social housing tenants sitting around all day getting free taxis to take their children to school on their way out to work and the school run, or letting their properties get rundown and their kids run riot and the majority of "normal" social housing tenants think that those people are snobs that look down on them - which many of them do. It's a recipe for tension I can tell you from personal experience. Don't know what the answer is though.

We fell for the "paramedics and teachers" line from the developers too - utter bollocks.

Original poster
Fimbo · 19/08/2007 14:30

Actually he's sitting on a plane to India as I type................

OP posts:
ShinyHappyPeopleGoingNuts · 19/08/2007 14:32

Oh Barbamama, you don't get free taxis to take your children to school unless your child has a disability. Your ignorance is criminal and very worrying.

Original poster
Fimbo · 19/08/2007 14:32

and he grew up on a council estate, which therein lies the problem methinks.

OP posts:
nutcracker · 19/08/2007 14:34

I don't think it is fair to have a go at Fimbo, as it is a reasonable enough question imo.

At the end of the day it is the luck of the draw.

My estate has a bad rep apparently (only found this out recently), but I live here and rarely have any probs at all. As I said though, I know lots of people in roads in which the majority are home owners and they have awful neighbours.

It isn't far to tar everyone with the same brush no, but unfortunatly people tend to focus on the bad tennats and not the good ones.

nutcracker · 19/08/2007 14:35

Barbamam, I have to agree with shiny, you are very ignorant if you really believe some of what you have just written.