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.