council houses

[bednobs]

hi, heard on the news today that d cameron et al are thinking of making it so a council house is not for life - people would be given a fixed term then reviewed, so for instance if they started working and could afford their own house they would be moved on, or if it was no longer suitable for their needs.
Now this seems like a really good idea to me - my MIL lives in a 3 bedroomed house because she used to live there with her children, they all grew up and moved out years ago, so why shouldn't a family who needs a 3 bedroomed place move in and she move into a 1 bedroomed place? it makes perfect sense to me, but loads of people ont he radio programme i was listening to seemed to think it was awful - why?

[chelle7272]

Council rents are significantly less than private, so why should people, when their time of need is over still benefit from reduced rent? People have referred to council tenants not claiming, yet council rent is subsidised so ina way they are getting a benefit.
I have lived ina council flat as a single parent, and now that my child is older and I'm earning good money I've moved to private rent to let others have the opportunity of getting out of B&B or overcrowded accommodation.
Why shouldn't others?

[tamborine]

my DSS tenant receives £950 monthly for herself & child but pays me £750 (going rate for private flats). Increasing the rent could cause me disaster if she refused to pay; she has DSS 'occupation protection' due to having a child.

[annie0000]

When my parents wanted to down size from their 3 bed, they ideally wanted a 2 bed so that my brother who had a private 1 bed flat could move back in with them as his health was not good - the 3 bed was not suitable as it was an upper flat and he needed something on the ground floor - his private flat was 2nd floor with no lift so he had no access to the outdoors. Despite support from doctors etc, the only thing the council were able to offer in any kind of reasonable timescale was to give them 2 one bed ground floor flats which were about 3 miles apart- none of them able to drive and they were not on the same bus route. Whilst they took them as it was a priority to get my brother moved, the council said that 2 bed flats were like gold dust, so maybe it is not so easy just to slot everyone into new suitable homes. My brother died shortly after they moved and my dad not long after that - I personally still feel that had they ben able to get a 2 bed, that both of them would have lasted a bit longer.

[tigerlelly]

In theory it sounds a good idea to move people from properties that are larger than they need. However, the problem is that is would be older people who would be moved on because their children have left home. They would be moved away from their friends, support systems, things that are familiar to them and would probably lose their gardens and privacy if moved to a flat. Also, have any of you ever been into a typical flat for a couple - usually one bedroom, tiny kitchen, no separate eating area - no room to swing the proverbial. It's a bit like communism, looks good on paper.

[cazzz1975]

where I live the have built a lot of retirement villages which are available for council rent, I am a bit jealous of them because they looks so good

[craft1948]

When my brother married my mum was left on her own in a 3 bedroomed council house, with a huge garden that she couldn't manage. She asked the council to be re-housed but because there were so few one-bedroomed properties available it took nearly 10 years before they moved her.

[I.Don No]

I know we have to deal with life the way it is and not the way we would want it to be, but if MT (*spits*) had not brought in the right to buy and then on top of that she denied Councils the ability to use the revenue from that to build new social housing then maybe it would not be in such short supply now.

My husband and I brought up our three children in the council house we still live in, with one of the children still living here. Speaking for myself I would be devastated if I had to move from here. Here is where all my treasured memories are.

Of course, our council house is not ours, but if anyone really thinks that we would not have bought a house if we could have afforded it then they are mistaken.

What is wrong with building more social housing?

[karenmac60]

I live in a block of 2 bed maisonettes, and at least 2 tenants have to sleep on sofa beds in their livingrooms because they have children who need their own rooms (they both have a boy and a girl). They have no chance of getting a bigger place. The flat backs onto blocks of 3 bedroom terraced flats, and every one of them is occupied by elderly couples. They have large gardens and loads of space. Ok, maybe they want a spare room for grandkids/visitors, but surely the larger houses with gardens should be available for young families with children and the elderly people could still have one spare room and wouldn't need to tend a garden either - there are verandas so they could still sit out. It just seems wrong that kids are having to live in such makeshift arrangements while there are plenty rooms to spare on the next street.

[I.Don No]

If MT had allowed more social housing to be built those children written about above would have their gardens to play in and no-one would be suggesting that people who have lived their whole married life in a council house would not have to entertain the idea of a tremendous upheaval late in life.

[cazzz1975]

it will take a considerable time to claw back the money that labour have wasted, in the meantime people have desperate housing needs, I can understand that its your family home but surely you can understand the plight of people who are trying to raise children in cramped conditions who are not as fortunate to have been able to raise children in a happy home like you have in the past.

[ummmm]

Anyone already in a council house will not be effected by this scheme. It's the new tenants....they will know the rules when then sign for their new houses.

The only drawback I can see is it wouldn't encourage some to keep the house in good condition.

[bednobs]

also, it's not like most parents are old and infirm by the time their children are working. Bear in mind if you have your children in your 20's then by the time they can move out you might only be 40 or less, so it's not like you are upheavaling loads of doddery 80 year olds!