What is a Housing Association?

Jowo_2

When I grew up in council housing as a child, it was mainly composed of working families headed by 2 parents though perhaps I'm being a bit rose tinted about it, perhaps as a kid the worst of the social problems were hidden from me.

Such is the change in society to family structure, the economy and lack of jobs for the unskilled working class because manufacturing has been decimated, the supply of social housing decimated by right to buy and so on that in some areas its virtually only available on an 'emergency' basis for the needy which will include newly released prisoners, addicts, vulnerable teenagers leaving care and so forth.

As an adult, my last social housing tenancy (was council housing, now is a HA), my immediate neighbours were composed of an alcoholic ex-prostitute, a mentally ill woman, a partially blind alcoholic and a drug user, none of whom worked. The mentally ill woman ruined my peace by smashing up her flat with a broom, the ex prostitute was lonely and sought me out for company, the alcoholic regaled me with sob stories and even feigned the DTs to make me call an ambulance for him, the drug user blasted his stereo out and was abusive to me.

Mankysteve

Thanks to The last conservative government and the last labour government inability to actually make any changes. Council can not get funding from the government, OS what they do is either fully sell off there housing stock to a HA, or set up there own HA for mange the stock for them.

Then all of sudden they can get money from the governments make no sense accept for one thing, its designed to milk as much tax payers into private pockets and create as much red tape to cover that up

Rant over

verytricky69

well these opinions are definitely putting me off. Its a shame because the house is perfect and we just cant find anything else that ticks the boxes.

The rest of the area is lovely £350k+ properties - beautiful landscaped park, quiet, near station for direct trains to london.

Can a mere 12 semi detatched houses (new builds- HA) on a new cul-de-sac road ruin the whole- rahter expensive- area?

I bought an ex council flat once and regretted it. hmmm

verytricky69

bouche wrote: »

What is a Housing Association??:o

Are you serious??:eek:

well i know now I thought it was like council housing but wasnt quite sure.

sp1987

Whichever opinion is right or wrong...this forum comprises a wide variety of people the sort of which might be interested if and when you sell that house.

Some people will say ''ohhh ha's are fine'' and some may say ''they are awful''....but the fact some people may be disinterested in your property surely affects the value.

If however, you intend to live in it until you die....it probably doesn't matter too much what it is worth.

I guess the thing is though, if you were to buy the house, negotiate a discount based on what you may lose if the HA area is awful. It's like buying a category d car....they are worth less, but if you pay less to buy it, you won't be losing out when you sell it.

I personally would rather buy a house next to an already built HA area than one coming soon, as you can see what you are getting and who may or may not move in.

sp1987

bouche wrote: »

Personally, the above poster may well want to buy a house in an estate which isn't ex local authority owned. You'll have the same problems with neighbours wherever you live.

Personally I'd love a little detatched, in the country with a rose garden and lovely people around, all the time - then again it'd probably cost me no less than half million squid.

There's always the outer Hebrides, which I understand won't be long before that's overcroweded - or perhaps, - out Mongolia!:T

I think you took my message in entirely the wrong way. My problem was more the residents themselves than how they came to be wherever they are.

In a general sense...when you visit a house you see the people already living around you. If one or more of them is an obnoxious idiot, I'd give up the idea of buying that house whether they were an owner occupier or a secure tenant. There was something in the news a little while back about a man who stored 40 years of rubbish in his garden, including a few decades worth of newspapers. I wouldn't want to live next to him...and he owned his house, lol.

But, the point still stands that people's opinions of something may influence the value of a home in that area, as it lessens the people who may want to buy it. Same as a nicer kitchen improves the value of a house, even if the old one is working fine.

princeofpounds

When I grew up in council housing as a child, it was mainly composed of working families headed by 2 parents though perhaps I'm being a bit rose tinted about it, perhaps as a kid the worst of the social problems were hidden from me.

Well I guess some was hidden, but there was a much greater prevalence of council housing the past so it was not just a refuge for the troubled, there were plenty of working families in there (which is no longer the case in terms of new entrants).

Many of those estates were sold off (but to those same families) under right to buy - you'd be surprised by how many of the slightly dull but pleasant enough edge-of-town estates were actually council housing, especially outside of major cities, given they don't resemble the image we have of it now.

Milliewilly

Jowo wrote: »

When I grew up in council housing as a child, it was mainly composed of working families headed by 2 parents though perhaps I'm being a bit rose tinted about it, perhaps as a kid the worst of the social problems were hidden from me.

Such is the change in society to family structure, the economy and lack of jobs for the unskilled working class because manufacturing has been decimated, the supply of social housing decimated by right to buy and so on that in some areas its virtually only available on an 'emergency' basis for the needy which will include newly released prisoners, addicts, vulnerable teenagers leaving care and so forth.

As an adult, my last social housing tenancy (was council housing, now is a HA), my immediate neighbours were composed of an alcoholic ex-prostitute, a mentally ill woman, a partially blind alcoholic and a drug user, none of whom worked. The mentally ill woman ruined my peace by smashing up her flat with a broom, the ex prostitute was lonely and sought me out for company, the alcoholic regaled me with sob stories and even feigned the DTs to make me call an ambulance for him, the drug user blasted his stereo out and was abusive to me.

This is true as a child in the late 70's early 80's my parents couldn't afford a house until I was 8 years old this was a small bungalow at the start of a council estate and we never had any problems. That was because people in Sheffield who had no education either worked in the Steelworks or down the mines. They had jobs and pride and took care of their council houses. I would have no issue living amongst that again but couldn't live there now as the Estate has declined terminally.

verytricky69

quote 'In a general sense...when you visit a house you see the people already living around you. If one or more of them is an obnoxious idiot, I'd give up the idea of buying that house whether they were an owner occupier or a secure tenant. There was something in the news a little while back about a man who stored 40 years of rubbish in his garden, including a few decades worth of newspapers. I wouldn't want to live next to him...and he owned his house, lol. '

i remember him! lol

http://www.jameshyman.com/blog/archives/Trebuswithjunk.jpg

mr trebus

Wee_Willy_Harris

Milliewilly wrote: »

I am dipping my quill at this very moment.

So you would be happy to spend 1/4 - 1/2 a million to live next to a problem social housing estate would you?

Problem? The ones mentioned in the OP aren't even occupied yet so wherre's the "problem". Kinda supports my post really.