Council House Shortages... Predicted 1m on waiting list

LandlordLee

Firstly the council house shortage is due to the fact tenants were given the right to buy. That is the governments mistake as did they think that people would never need any more council houses by selling them all?

Secondly, why are people wanting council houses? If they claim benefits (which i am not saying all do), wouldn't it be better to go into the private rental market? It is my understanding that the majority if not all is paid for with local HA so that would not make a difference.

If the council can not build more homes they should buy surplus housing stock in local areas and integrate people better into local areas rather than build estates, often blighted by crime.

Does anyone have any views on this?

PasturesNew

- A lot of private landlords don't want DSS people.
- There's no 'home for life' in private rented.
- You can't do what you want to the property like the council allow you to.
- It's harder to get off benefits if you're in private rented because the rent is so much more that you need to earn a lot more to pay it.
- With private rented you have to stump up a fortune in fees every time you're moved on.
- There's a huge deposit with private rented that people don't have.
- In council you can pretty much have who you like move in/out without them being overly bothered, whereas a landlord would be on your case. e.g. where children return to the home, or need to be put up in a hurry, if you want to have a friend/bf stay with you for a month or two. All sorts of reasons why you might want somebody to stay/live with you for awhile.

And all of the above in some small part all rolled into one.

Dill

LandlordLee wrote: »

Firstly the council house shortage is due to the fact tenants were given the right to buy. That is the governments mistake as did they think that people would never need any more council houses by selling them all?
?

I couldn't agree more with this. I think we have Mrs Thatcher to thank for that!

As to why people would want council housing as opposed to private rented property, I think it's as Pastures New has said, the security of a long-term tenancy. This is very hard to find in the private sector.

Another factor might be that with regard to the condition of the properties, councils do have some pull on HA's, whereas if it's a private landlord, unless the property is so bad it's deemed unfit to live in, there's very little they can do about landlords who let out sub-standard properties.

Also (where I live at least) the rents on council or HA properties are about ½ what you'd pay in the private sector, so for anyone who earns a low wage a council property would be much better.

I do dread to think what's going to happen, if more and more people are struggling to make ends meet and cannot afford to keep up mortgage payments on their houses.. even as it is now, councils are only able to house about 10% of those on their register.

LandlordLee

I feel really sorry for the people who are waiting on the list.. I think this needs to be a Government priority. Everyone deserves a home. For the people on the waiting list, where are they living now? In the private sector?

If the government bought up houses not at auctions etc in affordable brackets they could potentially solve two problems - shortage of council houses and the falling housing market. It would help stimulate the economy, and in the long run help everyone.

Debt_Free_Chick

Funding!

Council Tax/rates have never reduced to reflect the fact that Councils had fewer properties to maintain.

Imagine the increase needed now to fund the building of new Council-house stock and then its ongoing funding :eek:

LandlordLee

It would be too big a burden for sure.. The councils swallowed up that extra cash and spent it elsewhere.

I think it would see rent increases in council housing as well to bring them closer to the private sector - which defeats the object

baileysbattlebus

Private sector rents are very high at least in our neck of the woods - my son's girl friend has a 2 bed council house with a garage and a nice garden she pays about £70 per week for that + council tax and bills. At one time she lived in a 2 bed private rental with no drive or front garden and you couldn't swing a cat in it and it was £850 a month + council tax and bills

That's why people where I live want council houses and why the waiting list is 11 years long. Private rents are so high. And a lot of LL's don't want housing benefit never mind people on income support.
When she rented privately she wasn't on income support, she worked but her wages just about covered the rent and council tax, if someone earns £20k they take home about £1300 a month and if you rent privately here, you don't have a lot left. And you still have to get to work etc.

As several people have said there is no security of tenure in private rentals - there is no cap on rent increases, you have to have a very large deposit.