How to get a council house.
Discussion
Lotusevoraboy said:
Thousands of native born folk way down the list, yet 'other' groups straight to top of list and yet reject perfectly good brand new homes at a third of the market value rent (which the state pays in housing benefit anyway).
I think this is what disgusted me most about this situation. The council's numerical determination for priority is clearly wrong in placing 'crowded' families above locals who have resided in the area for generations. Certain immigrants breed like rabbits and, of course via the council system, trump the indigenous Londoners who (used to) have family ties to that locality.Do you think that the Pakistani witch who insisted on a private parking space would be conducive for community relations there (actually, anywhere)?
One silver lining was the grandfather, who clearly looks after those girls very well, getting the house they needed- not before asking their opinion of course.
handbraketurn said:
I work in property development in London, very interesting to see how it actually looks on the coal face.
Everything you build has to have a social element, normally 35-40% given to a housing association. Some of that will be allocated to socially capped rents which is what was on the TV. Some as intermediate rents hwich is just discounted market rents. And some for shared ownership. Quite often this is built at loss for the developer. Or give a giant hand out to the local authority in lieu of on-site affordable.
It makes it very difficult to make sites viable with land values so high. And thanks to the bankers antics pre-2006, development finance is still difficult to get and very costly only compounding the issue.
There are literally hundreds of sites around greater London (and the south East) which have planning consent which cannot be implemented because of the affordable allocations / financial contributions making them un-viable and more importantly un-fundable. They just sit there vacant.
But the government won't build any council flats, its down to private developers to give it away as sort of social housing tax.
In a wider context, this problem will only get worse in Greater London, the GLA suggest we need to be building 30K dwellings a year and needed to be doing so for many years to meet the growing population. The actual amount of units built is more like 10k. The population of London will grow by an estimated 1m by 2017.
You can see the problem, high demand and limited supply can only do one thing to affordability.
Well said.Everything you build has to have a social element, normally 35-40% given to a housing association. Some of that will be allocated to socially capped rents which is what was on the TV. Some as intermediate rents hwich is just discounted market rents. And some for shared ownership. Quite often this is built at loss for the developer. Or give a giant hand out to the local authority in lieu of on-site affordable.
It makes it very difficult to make sites viable with land values so high. And thanks to the bankers antics pre-2006, development finance is still difficult to get and very costly only compounding the issue.
There are literally hundreds of sites around greater London (and the south East) which have planning consent which cannot be implemented because of the affordable allocations / financial contributions making them un-viable and more importantly un-fundable. They just sit there vacant.
But the government won't build any council flats, its down to private developers to give it away as sort of social housing tax.
In a wider context, this problem will only get worse in Greater London, the GLA suggest we need to be building 30K dwellings a year and needed to be doing so for many years to meet the growing population. The actual amount of units built is more like 10k. The population of London will grow by an estimated 1m by 2017.
You can see the problem, high demand and limited supply can only do one thing to affordability.
The Moose said:
Out if interest, why should someone who's lived in an area have 'the right' to stay there if they can't afford it off their own back?
I think they should be looking at 'relocation experts' or something similar.
In my mind, it can be essential to community cohesion. Having family living locally is in my mind far more important than housing some third world cash-seekers who have no intention of integrating but (as this programme clearly showed) still whinge about what in effect is a free f**king house.I think they should be looking at 'relocation experts' or something similar.
This calamity was massively expanded under New Labour but is clearly now unsustainable. It's odious that those of an East End upbringing have to give way to financial hungry pirates - many of whom despise our common culture and have no wish to be included in our greater society.
Interesting and disturbing programme - quite an eye opener.
That young couple living in one room at £400.00 per month - with the faulty door. He seemed OK, perhaps not the brightest in class, but doesn't anybody query why (in those circs) he has a pet dog, and then impregnates his partner but is so worried about the sub-par accommodation? Priorities?
Also, no lack of wide screen flat panels in social housing, is there?
That young couple living in one room at £400.00 per month - with the faulty door. He seemed OK, perhaps not the brightest in class, but doesn't anybody query why (in those circs) he has a pet dog, and then impregnates his partner but is so worried about the sub-par accommodation? Priorities?
Also, no lack of wide screen flat panels in social housing, is there?
The Don of Croy said:
Also, no lack of wide screen flat panels in social housing, is there?
Why do people bang on about wide screen flat tv's whenever people on benefits are mentioned as if it's some kind of wealth/ status symbol. You can't buy any other kind of tv, and they not exactly expensive! 
eccles said:
Why do people bang on about wide screen flat tv's whenever people on benefits are mentioned as if it's some kind of wealth/ status symbol. You can't buy any other kind of tv, and they not exactly expensive!
Hundreds of pounds on flat screen TV and dog food is a lot when you are wondering how you are going to purchase your next mealI live in the Borough of London where the problem (and yes it is a problem) of social housing is absolutely rife. Seriously I don't think there is a single street that doesn't have a high percentage of council tenants and it's galling to think that it's my tax money that is allowing these people to stay there for free. I could totally understand it if these people were in a desperate situation or on the breadline but they aren't. They are free loaders who take everything they can get for free because they know how to work the system.
So I decided to move out of the area and after months of looking found what I thought was the perfect house in one of the nicer suburbs, had a chat with the lovely owners and left with a good feeling considering making an offer. However as I walked to the car I bumped into the neighbour who took great delight in telling me that it was a great area made even better by the fact that they had managed to wangle a council house for free, just WTF?? Here I am worrying about if I'll be able to afford the mortgage and they've been living there for 10 years without paying a penny. Needless to say I didn't go ahead with the offer and that house is still for sale months later, I wonder if the owners know it's most likely their scrounging council tenant neighbours that are putting buyers off.
Having done some research apparently the limit for council housing is £500 a week!! Surely the limit should be a lot lower than that and only there to provide emergency housing, not enable people to live in houses that the majority of the UK population can't even afford.
So I decided to move out of the area and after months of looking found what I thought was the perfect house in one of the nicer suburbs, had a chat with the lovely owners and left with a good feeling considering making an offer. However as I walked to the car I bumped into the neighbour who took great delight in telling me that it was a great area made even better by the fact that they had managed to wangle a council house for free, just WTF?? Here I am worrying about if I'll be able to afford the mortgage and they've been living there for 10 years without paying a penny. Needless to say I didn't go ahead with the offer and that house is still for sale months later, I wonder if the owners know it's most likely their scrounging council tenant neighbours that are putting buyers off.
Having done some research apparently the limit for council housing is £500 a week!! Surely the limit should be a lot lower than that and only there to provide emergency housing, not enable people to live in houses that the majority of the UK population can't even afford.
eccles said:
The Don of Croy said:
Also, no lack of wide screen flat panels in social housing, is there?
Why do people bang on about wide screen flat tv's whenever people on benefits are mentioned as if it's some kind of wealth/ status symbol. You can't buy any other kind of tv, and they not exactly expensive! Markhoskins said:
eccles said:
Why do people bang on about wide screen flat tv's whenever people on benefits are mentioned as if it's some kind of wealth/ status symbol. You can't buy any other kind of tv, and they not exactly expensive!
Hundreds of pounds on flat screen TV and dog food is a lot when you are wondering how you are going to purchase your next mealeccles said:
Markhoskins said:
eccles said:
Why do people bang on about wide screen flat tv's whenever people on benefits are mentioned as if it's some kind of wealth/ status symbol. You can't buy any other kind of tv, and they not exactly expensive!
Hundreds of pounds on flat screen TV and dog food is a lot when you are wondering how you are going to purchase your next mealIf you can't afford to live in London, then don't. Easy enough right!
I can't afford to live in Kensington, so guess what; I don't live there.
This appplies more so for those who dont have a job, fair enough if you asked someone who lives and works in Lonodn to move to Sheffield, but if they don't have a job and want a free (or very cheap) house, then they should go where they are told. Also if you turn down a suitable property, then that should be it.
I can't afford to live in Kensington, so guess what; I don't live there.
This appplies more so for those who dont have a job, fair enough if you asked someone who lives and works in Lonodn to move to Sheffield, but if they don't have a job and want a free (or very cheap) house, then they should go where they are told. Also if you turn down a suitable property, then that should be it.
ikarl said:
eccles said:
Markhoskins said:
eccles said:
Why do people bang on about wide screen flat tv's whenever people on benefits are mentioned as if it's some kind of wealth/ status symbol. You can't buy any other kind of tv, and they not exactly expensive!
Hundreds of pounds on flat screen TV and dog food is a lot when you are wondering how you are going to purchase your next meal
I have relations luckily only by marriage who seem experts at playing the system.
She had a 1 bedroom flat but said she was feeling claustrophobic so she gets a 2 bed house.
Then she decides she needs a dog as a companion so she buys a dog and the ever helpful council puts a new fence around her house.
She now has a kid- so extra money of course.
I happen to bump onto her in a local shoe shop. There are shoes for a toddler reduced to £10 from £30 she looks at the full price ones of course and proudly says the toddler has numerous outfits and each outfit has matching shoes all at £30=!!!!
She has never worked a day in her life and says she never intends to as its not worth it.
Her mother has now got herself another council house as she has developed a bad back!
The rest of that side of the family are all similar.
She had a 1 bedroom flat but said she was feeling claustrophobic so she gets a 2 bed house.
Then she decides she needs a dog as a companion so she buys a dog and the ever helpful council puts a new fence around her house.
She now has a kid- so extra money of course.
I happen to bump onto her in a local shoe shop. There are shoes for a toddler reduced to £10 from £30 she looks at the full price ones of course and proudly says the toddler has numerous outfits and each outfit has matching shoes all at £30=!!!!
She has never worked a day in her life and says she never intends to as its not worth it.
Her mother has now got herself another council house as she has developed a bad back!
The rest of that side of the family are all similar.
eccles said:
So if you're on the dole you can't have a TV wherever you buy it? What size /type of TV would be acceptable for those on benefits to have?
They can have any TV they want but they should also pay the going rate for everything.Subsidised rent, council tax, bus pass, school meals, computers, etc.
When did you ever see a sign in a shop that said 'workers discount on production of wage slip.'
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