What is a Housing Association?

Milliewilly

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

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

Its a definate problem as they are not a known entity if empty - the OP would be buying blind in the hope that decent tenants move in.

Wee_Willy_Harris

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.

Well, I read not so long ago about an unemployed 44 year old drug addict, on bail for possession of several thousand pounds worth of class A drugs (crack cockaine and heroin), who the police wanted to question about a minor traffic accident. After having to resort to a battering ram to gain entry, the suspect fled through a bedroom window, leaving his drug addicted wife behind to answer the obvious questions.

But you wouldn't mind living next door to HIM, in leafy Chelsea.

I guess it helps if your father is one of the 10 richest men in Britain. It's the poor HA tenants who end up living near HIM I feel sorry for!

Wee_Willy_Harris

Mankysteve wrote: »

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

It's not quite that simple. HA's are run on a more traditionaly commercial basis and can borrow against their assets, unlike Councils. So it AVOIDS the use of taxpayers money to invest in the former councils properties in order to bring the existing properties up to a better standard and fund new-builds.

Wee_Willy_Harris

bouche wrote: »

It IS!!;)

It's Local Authority - Ex Council, now run by Housing Associations!!:cool:

But don't dismiss it if you're looking to buy. Check out the lease, ground rents, servics charges. Leaseholders (ie owner occupiers, including ex local authority owned) have many more legal rights now as they did before.

+ it's probably bigger

Rubbish. Many HA's were never affiliated in any way to local authorites and built/bought their own properties from day one. HA's were around long before the wholesale transfer of local authority stock.

Wee_Willy_Harris

Milliewilly wrote: »

Its a definate problem as they are not a known entity if empty - the OP would be buying blind in the hope that decent tenants move in.

More ignorance a prejudice?

sp1987

verytricky69 wrote: »

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

Do you know the worst thing? I just googled and I found him...except he's not the same one you quoted. There's another one of them! Lol.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/surrey/8545119.stm

God only knows how many more.

Maybe this should be what you watch out for :rotfl:

Wee_Willy_Harris

bouche wrote: »

You've knocked the nail bang on the head there.

Used to be these "estates" worked for themselves and most were full time workers, looking out for eachother.

Since then, theses estates have gone to rack and ruin. Partly blamed by Local Authorities not keeping low life's under control. If they could only conform to their tenancy agreements, and those agreements be enforced by thier landlords, none of these problems would have arisen and we wouldn't have certain areas overun by anti-social behaviour - ie bad / problem families.

Problem is they leave it to the police now that have better things to do.

They P u ss y foot around these families that are not only a menace to their neighbourhood but to society as a whole.

ARRGGH!:eek:

When I see threads on here about a guy wanting advice because his neighbours telly is too loud, and another thread about a one off noise disturbance on a Saturday night, I think you can't blame the authorities. They rely on OUR actions in order to enforce THEIR rules. That's difficult with this idea that you either a) Don't grass your neighbours or b) Don't bother telling the authorities because they do nothing. Then you get advice on here ranging from bribary to paint stripper and bricks through windows given as a method of resolution. It's no good blaming the authorities if we do not engage until our own stupidity has let a situation get beyond control!

Milliewilly

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

More ignorance a prejudice?

If not wanting to live next to nuisance neighbours makes me predjudiced then I am not afraid to say I am.

Its not a question of ignorance either. Stereotypes exist for a reason and I would not take the risk.

Wee_Willy_Harris

bouche wrote: »

Never affiliated??? HA's came into being because they were forced to inherit council housing stock.

I can't believe you're sooo naiiive.:cool:

And I can't believe you are sooo ignorant. Housing Association have been with us for 150 years now, long before large scale stock tranfer. Oh, and to complete your astounding ignorance score, they weren't "forced" to, even then.

Wee_Willy_Harris

bouche wrote: »

Rubbish - you don't know what you're talking about. HA's bought out council houses.

HA's have only come into existence in the last 8/10 year- having carried over stock previously controlled by Councils.

Read UP. I'd hate for people to be misinformed by the like of your input.

It's about moving forwards - not backwards, as you suggest in your post.

Suggest you take your own advice and read up. Maybe then, your post could be informed.