Phil Spencer - find me a home

[Hairydilemma]

Anyone watching this? He's trying to find homes for two homeless families (not on-the-streets homeless, but being evicted due to landlord selling, or building being demolished).

Shows just how hard it is to rent privately - the maths just doesn't add up. One couple both work yet can't afford any two bed flats. It's a pretty shocking insight into the way it all works.

That council flat is not fit for anyone to live In.

It's a disgrace isn't it??

Though I'm not sure how the council can actually make it better (without knocking it down, which is what they're doing, of course) - the vermin problem must be huge and almost impossible to deal with.

That council flat is disgusting and the council have the cheek to charge them for it.

£903 a month!!!

on planner

will watch tomorrow

I just watched it and am a bit perplexed how the couple got magically moved up the list! But good for them.

I'm more shocked by the house insurance / housing benefits thing. How is anyone supposed to be able to rent?!

I know, Barbara, and the two and a half times salary now required (or whatever multiple it was) for renting - so even if you can scrape together a deposit and the rent every month, the rules say you can't get the flat.

Felt really sorry for both families- the lady who was caring for her son so couldn't work and the couple working so hard but thwarted by prices and rules.

Not sure how they moved up the list either tho suspect it was something to do with Phil and the cameras!

What's really sad is that some other family without a Phil to argue their case are now probably in that vermin- ridden flat . It's like something from Victorian times .

When we rented a few months ago the highest earner had to earn 37 times the monthly rent for us to rent.

So on a really awful 3 bed that cost £1700 a month to live in a damp shithole DH had to earn greater than £53,000 !

The house insurance/mortgage thing changed in the last few years. It must substantially cut the potential tenant market for landlords which surely impacts ability to let.

I think the council were shamed into moving that family up the list.

I couldn't help thinking that young couple would have been better not working or working part time i.e. they would have been eligible for housing benefit.

that was very interesting.
phil looked totally out of his depths.

the insurance/mortgage thing is shocking. highly unerthical and (in my opinion only) possibly illegal.

I was very pleased to see that he was doing this programme. It's a shame KA didn't do it too.

Agree that the insurance not covering HB is shocking. How can they justify that?

Was anyone else not totally shocked that Southwark, a Labour controlled council, we're selling off the estate for development and not ensuring that the developers built homes for the people currently living there.

What in gods name are all the people currently living there going to do?

Twinkie1, I was shocked by lots of it! Yes, where all those people are going to live.

And how many other flats in that estate are in the same condition as the one on the programme? With other families living in them.

The fact that you need such crazy multiples of your income to be accepted as a tenant (37 times, Laurie !!)

It was an eye opener.

To those wondering where those residents are going to go following the redevelopment, google 'west Hendon estate redevelopment'. Something similar went on/is on going. Shocking and alarming that entire long established communities were ripped apart to make way for new, richer, more desirable residents/home owners. Even those living the Thatcher dream who bought under right to buy were forced away from their neighbourhood. They thought they had a home for life but were Shat on. Compulsory purchase of their property but the amount they received was a fraction of what the new flats were priced at.

Finally watched and the woman lives where I do

Weird seeing my local town on tv

The couple who worked hard but lady had zero hr contract is wrong. They should be banned

They paid a fortune for a horrible damp flat with cockroaches :(

Just read about West Hendon. That's a disgrace.

It really is iamtheresurrection. A warning to us all that we have very little rights when it comes down to it.