Hatred towards social housing tenants on here getting worse.

[JenniferBooth]

And really nasty and out of control Here is one example but there have been many

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4964096-to-still-feel-slightly-bitter-about-this-inheriting-social-housing?page=1

There have been a few threads in the last week alone. Its like this is a nice safe little prejudice that the social housing haters can enjoy with no comebacks.

They watched too many programmes on social housing and the people. I'm in social housing there are good and bad places, where I am is not so bad.

Honestly. We are jealous. As waiting lists get longer and private rent gets more expensive you can expect the jealousy towards the lucky ones who do get a council home to increase. Not saying it's right btw just explaining the cause of the hatred

I think for some people, it just seems massively unfair that some can get it, while others can’t. And the cost of private rents and mortgages have skyrocketed.

I think this is a reflection on the housing crisis and economic situation. Social housing is like gold dust nowadays and people are jealous and fed up.

@Leah5678 DH and i live in a one bedroom flat DH is disabled and we really need a bungalow But i dont blame the tenants already living in bungalows.

Why is the hatred not aimed at the developers. Do i really have to post the Elephant and Castle example AGAIN

I have been HA now for 25 years, back then when I was with the ex we had been on the housing list 8 years, prior to that. I do feel sorry for people who private rent, as it's double what I pay.

Yes I agree , it's jealousy. People see young single mums getting social housing relatively easily/ getting their parents to chuck them out, or making out they have split from partners to move up the waiting list quickly. Meanwhile lots of us have grown up adult children in their mid- late twenties with no hope of affording private rent, and if they can afford private rent it is not possible to save for a deposit and they have little chance of moving out of their parents home particularly if single and on an average income. Much of the social housing available is new builds, in reasonable areas and rent is a lot more affordable than private rent. I can completely understand why people would feel jealous especially as most seem to stay in them for life.

People have always hated SH tenants on MN and as for the jealousy bollocks. Most Mumsnetters won't send their kids to a school if it has a housing estate catchment or buy a house within a mile of a housing estate so they certainly wouldn't live in one.

MN " people who are earning anything more than NMW should be made to move out of SH as they are depriving others that are doing NMW jobs of a home"

Response " Quite right OP, they're so selfish denying others a home"

Also MN " AIBU to object to plans to build 100 SH units on land near me?"

Response "YANBU, I wouldn't want that near my home either".

It's very odd that the only people on MN seen as being selfish and denying others the right to live in SH are.....well, those of us who live in SH.

Is it a good idea then to start another thread about it?

@Spirallingdownwards you could say that about any subject or prejudice

People are allowed opinions still aren't they?

No-one is saying they're not, just why do some have to be so nasty when doing so. Everybody living in SH has the right, according to the LL's, to be there so where is the justification for posters calling us "selfish", "freeloaders" or even blaming us for the lack of SH stock? Also, it's not our fault that private rents are high or mortgage payments have gone up but it doesn't stop endless posters sneering at us because our rents are cheaper than they pay. The constant hate dressed up as "opinions" for something that we have no control over is tiresome.

People never stop and think about the reasons people turn to social housing. For example my mum was fleeing DV with her children. This was decades ago. She is no longer in social housing but many people (well in areas of high demand anyway) have an unpleasant background story. It’s not winning a prize.

I don't think people understand how social housing works (and doesn't).

I grew up in a council flat. All my friends did until we moved to a new town where there were some people in what we called "bought houses."

When I left school, the process was you signed on at the housing. If you waited long enough (and were happy to remain in the town), you were allocated a council flat. If you didn't, you saved for a deposit and bought somewhere. No need to be unemployed, destitute, low paid. There was no stigma. Wait a year or so and you got your first home.

In my view, this is how it should work. The biggest mistake was the "right to buy" which just depleted housing stock, leading to the booming exploitative private rental market. If your situation isn't desperate enough to be eligible for social housing, you're too often at the mercy of greedy landlords with substandard properties. That's where the jealousy comes from. At least, social housing is secure, upgraded at intervals (not as frequently as many think) and rent is generally less than private renting. We need a properly run social housing sector.

Im afraid that nowadays if u get allocated social housing you have definitely won a prize. The private rental market is absolutely hideous. If you aren't in a position to buy and you're not able to get sh, you're in a dreadful situation

@Comedycook

I have 2 adult DDs renting in London. I would rather that for them than suffering DV and allocated social housing as a result.

I think some people would prefer that all social housing was sold off, rather than providing for those in need, because of misplaced jealousy. I expect to see workhouses return in some form during my lifetime.

Very strange interpretation of what I said.

I never suggested social housing should not be available

Envy especially with the cost of living crisis. I count my blessings every day for my secure social housing tenancy and can’t imagine the stress of possibly being evicted hanging over me and having to come up to with moving costs and deposits. Nit to mention uprooting kids and school changes etc. Never being able to feel secure must be horrible. Everyone deserves a secure tenancy in my opinion. I would probably be jealous if I didn’t have one too.

I lived like that for years, I've lived now in SH for coming up 8 years. I earn a little over nmw, in fact the new nmw will be more in April than I earn now. I'll likely get 10 maybe 20p an hour more when that happens. That wouldn't bridge the gap between SH rent and a private rent. My SH provider is a non profit organisation, and they do a lot for the communities they are part of to make them pleasant and decent. But that points towards not only the housing stock paying for itself through the rents raised but also having some surplus to be able to do that. By comparison the council services are woeful.

At times when in private rent I received housing benefit to help me be able to pay (and I've never been unemployed, part time for a little while because there was no availability for local childcare), since living in SH the rent has been paid entirely by wages.

I wasn't jealous of SH tenants when in private rent because I didn't blame them for the way my LL's behaved - the issue was the LL and the way that the system works, it would still be the same if SH didn't exist (likely worse actually because then the market would have a completely captive audience). SH tenants are also not to blame for mortgage increases or house prices, or people over mortgaging themselves.

I pay less than a private rent, probably not as much less as some think, but it is less, but then unlike the private rent I've lived in there was literally nothing when I moved in, not even plugs in the bath and sink. None of the things like white goods, fixtures and fittings or carpets - you provide those yourself - pay less and get less - which I am absolutely fine with, more than fine with. And the SH organisation doesn't behave like they're doing me some massive benevolent favour by allowing me to give them what is still a large amount of money to live in 'their' house, like some LLs do - behaving like they get nothing out of it and they're some kind of Saint for renting out a property. They actually recognise they're providing a service in return for payment and I'm a customer effectively.

I mean they're not perfect, they have policies that indicate they are unaware of the fact so many of their tenants work and don't sit at home all day, and arrange appointments without telling you and then get arsey when you're not in for the appointment you don't know you have. I have a dripping tap and a window that doesn't shut properly and it's been like that coming on 2 years now, it's cellotaped up to stop the draught and the online portal just says that the repair request is 'being processed'. And before anyone starts, on the occasions where I've actually had an appointment to fix it and it's been cancelled at the last minute, I've asked if I can fix them myself/get someone in and I would be in breach of my tenancy if I did.

I lost everything to an abusive relationship and that's how I became eligible for social housing and I live somewhere that I wouldn't have considered if I'd had more choice because it's got various issues (not with the actual place but it's position) and apparently I'm the longest standing tenant since it became SH because other people clearly felt the same!
We still have some bare floors and rooms that have the decor that was here when we moved in. It's secure though, and I'm grateful for it. I still struggle financially, but I'd be screwed if in private rent.

I just find it confusing that anyone would be jealous to the point that they need to be be vindictive about all that, I get that it's really tough for some right now, but it's been really tough for me and still is with COL hanging over everyone. I barely got back on my feet and COVID hit, then COL.

I've every sympathy with people struggling, but me struggling more isn't going to stop them struggling is it? It'll just mean they have to go be jealous of someone else.

I have no skin in this game but my friend is currently in emergency housing with her two kids after being evicted by a private landlord. She is pretty resentful that someone we both know has a secure tenancy in a three-bed home, when her kids have left home and her live-in partner of many years has his own home, no mortgage, which he rents out for a hefty whack.
To be honest, I can see her point.

I think the situation you just described is why so many people hate SH tenants because they think they are playing the system when stories like this are actually rare and most tenants are good people just living their lives and don't have partners with second homes.

I just hate the posts that make out we’re lucky. Yeah I’m lucky that I became eligible after going into refuge fleeing domestic violence and me and my son lost everything.

I actually work as a nurse now and have lived in mine for 3 years but it’s not without its issues despite the cheaper rent. Mould growing behind my front door, damp, my third year running of rat infestations. People seem to think it’s just very easy to get given social housing without considering the circumstances of those who are actually genuine

This is about a shortage of new social homes being built but also about a lack of overall homes being built and lack of secure tenancies in the private sector.

No political party of any colour ever achieves building a decent number of new homes due to vested interests. The system is broken.

And what happens to society? Not enough homes to go round, people in insecure extortionate private rentals, young people unable to buy, overcrowding of families.
People resenting each other instead of the corrupt system and the rich elite for whom things are working really well as they continue to buy up more and more property themselves.

Politicians like to stir up the hatred as it means priority get mad at each other rather than at the lack of affordable housing (including the lack of properly regulated private rental homes)

It's not surprising tensions run high when for many housing costs take up most of their take home pay . And when private landlords can kick them out on a whim

And people hear about the shiny new social housing and forget some social housing tenants live in quite difficult conditions