Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Telly addicts

Related: Film discussion forum.

Original poster

How to get a council house

260 replies

JazzAnnNonMouse · 01/08/2013 21:02

Who deserves it more?

Wtf what kind of country are we living in when we have to choose who deserves shelter and who should be homeless?!

Urgh

OP posts:
creighton · 03/08/2013 11:48

the housing authorities do not think that council tenants are scum, most of the staff probably have used or were brought up in council properties so they know the value of it. they do however, need to fill properties quickly and cannot give people four viewings and a few weeks to contemplate whether they want the property or not. if you don't want it, someone else will take it.

this is different from 20/30 years ago when there were fewer people looking for homes and there was more stock to choose from.

as for the woman who wanted a parking space for her 'mythical' car. tough luck! in London there is a bus, tube, train, cab and footpower available to get around. if she were so desperate for a new home, she would have had one within the 12 years she allegedly was waiting. she and her husband could have worked and bought a house if they were so desperate or done the right to buy and cashed in to make their own arrangements. there is no reason to have sympathy for her at all.

each borough has its own development plans and some will not allow a parking space to be created for each household. if you want a car you will have to park it somewhere else, not on a car free estate.

BettyandDon · 03/08/2013 11:49

Have to admit I was in 2 minds when I watched this. Some cases I felt sorry for and others I felt they were not trying hard enough to improve their situations themselves (for example, the redundant banker eventually moved out of London which was entirely sensible don't know why he didn't before). I was aghast as the lady who nearly refused a brand new flat worth £485k because of the lack of parking. How many places in london have their own parking. I thought she was playing the system and saw no reason that if her family wanted better housing why she could not have got herself a job. The elderly and those whose communities had disintegrated yes I had some sympathy though. I can't see an easy way of improving the system and I agree that it should not be easy for people to walk into subsidised housing, but private options should be cheaper and it doesn't look like that will happen soon.

creighton · 03/08/2013 12:00

did you see the housing officer's face when she was first at the flat? she was so happy to be able to show such a nice flat to a family and then her face after they initially turned it down? she tried hard not to show how awful she thought they were.

JakeBullet · 03/08/2013 12:09

I must actually sit and watch this programme....I am aghast at the idea of a fully fitted kitchen. I would have loved that in mine and can hardly believe anyone wouldn't snap up a flat with such a wonderful asset.

My kitchen is old but functional and all the appliances in it are mine.

Yes to routine inspections of private lets. The last place I privately rented was unfit for human habitation by the time we left. Had the environmental health people in who slapped an order on the LL for repairs which he couldn't get done in the time. We moved and he had to do the work a bit at a time. It was a slight vindication that no letting agent would take the place on until he had raised it to an acceptable standard.

dirtyface · 03/08/2013 21:52

oh yeah watch it jake

anyone who has a council / Ha house should watch it, it didnt half make me count my blessings

and YY to inspections of private lets, some of the states that are allowed to be rented out are unbelievable. but whats even more scandalous is that its PUBLIC money given to these robbing chancers in order to house people in them

smokinaces · 03/08/2013 22:41

I was rehoused by the council four years ago. Homeless points as our landlord gave us notice. The choice based lettings was only in its second week, and even despite advertising many residents didn't know how it worked. Ashamed to say it worked in my favour - I was one of only eleven bidders on my three bed house (now they go for over 100 buds) and I won it in my first week of being eligible. It was in a notorious estate, was a pigeon box and I got no help with decorating or carpeting, but it was my home for 3.5 years.

I did an exchange to a two bed before Christmas, which suits me and both my boys. I am very fortunate as its in a lovely area and is a lovely big two bed house and my neighbours are wonderful. The previous tenant put holes in the wall but I am fixing it all slowly.

Being homeless and needing the council s help is so demorilising. I had my life and income and everything gone over with a fine tooh comb and was interrogated so many times. I cried nightly. Now I just thank the stars for being so bloody fortunate to live where I do. Lifetime tenancy on affordable rent in a nice area.

Programmes like this (just catching up tonight) make me so sad.

Groovee · 04/08/2013 08:12

It did say at the end of the programme that they family were turned down for a permit but accepted the flat.

smokinaces · 04/08/2013 09:35

I'm glad the guy with the (grand?) daughters got the house he held out for, those girls were so excited. That poor couple with the autistic boy though, I really wish they'd said what happened to them. If they were number two, likelihood is next house would be number one??

I wouldn't like to work where they work. It must be so hard. To be number 1060 in a bidding cycle? I dont think any bids round here go over 150 - I now realise how lucky we are to live in an area with a lot of council and social housing properties still.

celticclan · 04/08/2013 09:50

My friend was recently bidding for council properties. The system seems very complicated, she was considered a priority and was told that she was in the highest band as they were being evicted and would soon be homeless. They were told that they would only be in the highest category of need for a month and would then move down a band as you can only be considered in urgent need for a limited time. They did bid on some properties but unfortunately they were not successful. Surely if they lost out when they were considered in urgent need they will now have no chance if they are in a lower band? Confused

78bunion · 04/08/2013 10:31

Yes, Creighton, I didn't like the way the man with the Phillippines wife asked the benefits officer if he were Kenyan. Talk about doing all you can to make those who might be able to help you not want to.... No wonder his long working week only generates commission of £600 and can't his wife work? Or may be she does full time and it just wasn't said.

Ablababla · 04/08/2013 11:21

It's possible the banker man used to work in Kenya or something and was trying to create a rapport. It didn't strike me that he was being racist. Why on earth would he have wanted to piss the council guy off? What really shocked me was tha,t considering how desperate the housing situation is, why on earth are they still offering lifetime tenancies? The guy with the two granddaughters clearly needed that property for say 15 years but obviously would be sitting in a three bed house when the girls had left home. Meanwhile the couple with the autistic child and 100s of others like them would not be able to access the housing they real need.

78bunion · 04/08/2013 11:26

I agree. I think he meant it well, but it was an unfortunate comment when the man was probably born in London, not Africa.

I think someone said on this thread they now tend to offer tenancies for fixed periods.

Jux · 04/08/2013 14:13

As the man had spent the last umpteen years in Singapore I disagree. I think he was just making copious notes about who he spoke to and what they said. Thoroughly obnoxious, imo.

He did the sensible thing in the end though, started looking for cheaper areas outside London. That's what people do, isn't it?

One thing I did notice was how the Council rents are about the same as private rents where I live!

Groovee · 04/08/2013 14:46

That poor couple with the autistic boy though, I really wish they'd said what happened to them.

At the end they did, they had been given a safer 1 bedroomed flat. They were still continuing to bid on properties.

smokinaces · 04/08/2013 15:44

No groovee, that was the pregnant couple who were in the one unlockable room with the dog.

They didn't mention that couple again.

creighton · 04/08/2013 17:20

the banker didn't need to know that the man was from Kenya, he needed to know the man's name if he were taking notes for later. he wanted to be able to complain that he, an Englishman, had to ask a foreigner for housing in his own country (even though he was trying to jump the queue with his 'foreign' family.

having said that, did you see the Asian woman at the start who insisted that she would be given a home if she were white. again she was talking to a black person. tower hamlets is substantially Asian and many of the people in social housing there will necessarily be of Asian origin. I am so glad that I don't work directly in this area any more, the never ending ''you would give it to me if I was black/white/gay/straight/tall/short.....

the system in London needs reforming. they need to be stricter with people

dirtyface · 04/08/2013 19:31

having said that, did you see the Asian woman at the start who insisted that she would be given a home if she were white. again she was talking to a black person

Shock missed that, OMG imagine if that was the other way round. ie if she'd have been white and said she'd have got a place if she was asian / black etc

what an awful racist thing to say. didnt like her anyway tho tbh

RedHelenB · 04/08/2013 20:28

i didn't think the property was suitable for the family with the autistic child cos it was very near a busy road which would no doubt pose as great a danger as being in a first floor flat & trying to get out the window. I do hope they found somewhere suitable though. As to the family that did get the house why shouldn't he stay there till he dies - it wasn't himwho wanted to move but the council cos it was pulling his housing block down. hope he maanged to get ti habitable for his grand daughters.

expatinscotland · 04/08/2013 20:29

'No groovee, that was the pregnant couple who were in the one unlockable room with the dog.

They didn't mention that couple again.'

They did. The council sourced a private let 1-bedroom flat for them and they continue to bid on 2-bed properties. Oh, and the baby was healthy. :)

NettoSuperstar · 04/08/2013 21:06

The baby was a wee boy called Brooklyn.

As for the guy who turned down nine offers, it's easy to judge, but we didn't see them.
I turned down two, before I accepted the one I have.
The two I turned down were not reasonable/acceptable offers, according to the rules of the HA, except they were insisting they were and this was my last offer (we are allowed to turn down two)
They acknowledged one was unacceptable as it had only two bedrooms, but said the other two bed place was fine Confused
They offered me another which had three beds, but no central heating. They withdrew that offer, then said I refused it, which was not even true!

According to my HA, I turned down three properties, when in fact, according to their criteria as to what I need, I accepted the first one.

HA's lie.

Oh, I was gievn a decorating grant too, £117, there were no floors, and every wall and ceiling was in a state.
This grant is given in two parts, half before you move in, and half after.
I spent £1000 sorting it out to make it liveable before I moved in, and when I asked for the second half it turns out I couldn't have it because I owed them money. Weirdly, I owed them exactly £117. What are the chances.

Now we have the fun and games with the bedroom tax.
They say I have an extra room, the room that according to them I have to have, but I need to pay for it, unless I downsize, except I can't downsize because then I'll be in a too small property.

smokinaces · 04/08/2013 21:57

Expat, I know the pregnant couple in that room with the baby had a private rent. I'm talking about the couple right at the end who viewed the house with the grandad and had the autistic son. They didn't say if they got rehoused.

smokinaces · 04/08/2013 22:10

And I always remember expat you were going through the rehoming at the same time as me, and got your flat. Are you still there? Did you sort the bedroom tax issue you were having??

Blondeshavemorefun · 04/08/2013 22:37

Finally watched - glad grandad and 2 kids got a property - but what was he offered a 3 bed room as both girls?

Thought the Austic boy/couple got a one bed flat private or did I mix them up with the preg couple in the room with no lock - disgraceful that was :(

Lady not wanting the 1/2million property coz no parking but didn't eve. Have a car Hmm tho in the end she accepted it

Don't understand why the council don't check out properties before hand and clear them out of junk/old furniture and even give them a lick of paint? :(

Glad can only turn down several properties now and then go to bottom of list

Yes some look awful but a bit of elbow Grease and cheap paint and will look ok

smokinaces · 04/08/2013 22:47

The council dont do anything blondes. You've seen mine, with smashed doors, wrecked floors and holes in the wall and fence. The problem is with the elbow grease and paint is simply the time and effort to get it done, and money.

The bedroom tax didn't come in till April, which might be why he got a three bed. But I know round here you can still have bigger if you pay for it. And to be fair they needed him moved with the demolition due.

the autistic son couple were only briefly shown at the end at the viewing. The ones with the baby and one bed flat at the end were the ones in the unlocked room.

im still in shock at the 1060 bids. Checked our listings today and most bids on a house in last few weeks was 158.

Blondeshavemorefun · 04/08/2013 23:14

I don't think yours is bad smokin - apart from the decor in the bathroom ..,,,, pmsl

When you looked at it did you have leftover furniture / crap everywhere?

So the preg couple got a place?