Benefits push house prices higher?

Gorgeous_George

Good evening

After reading an earleir thread that suggested that house prices are higher, at least in part, due to women earning more or less the same as men, I got to thinking...

... perhaps the benefit system is, in part, to blame.

The UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe. These 'families' need housing. There are few council houses and housing associations have waiting ists. Private landlords help to fill the gap by buying up cheaper housing stock and renting it to these 'families'.

I would guess that a large percentage of cheaper houses are occupied by single girls with their little darlings (the b word is so non-PC). The lack of 'affordable' housing may be due to this. Immigrants, of course, may also be fuelling the pressure on housing for much the same reasons.

What do you think?



GG

PoorDave

Can you not think of a way to blame the elderly or handicapped?!

Increased immigration and "more households", which is sort of what you're saying about single mothers, are often mentioned as causes of high house prices.

However, we've had house price peaks before in this country - wat caused those? The same effects?

dips_3

Gorgeous_George wrote:

Good evening

After reading an earleir thread that suggested that house prices are higher, at least in part, due to women earning more or less the same as men, I got to thinking...

... perhaps the benefit system is, in part, to blame.

The UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe. These 'families' need housing. There are few council houses and housing associations have waiting ists. Private landlords help to fill the gap by buying up cheaper housing stock and renting it to these 'families'.

I would guess that a large percentage of cheaper houses are occupied by single girls with their little darlings (the b word is so non-PC). The lack of 'affordable' housing may be due to this. Immigrants, of course, may also be fuelling the pressure on housing for much the same reasons.

What do you think?



GG

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Have you thought what the effect of them working would be? I think it would be to push up house prices - that is if you really think that the number of single parents on benefit in this country is enough to skew the housing market.

lynzpower

hahahahahaahahahaahhaahah

maybe what we should do is just gas the poor eh? then house prices would drop? as there would be less demand?

leftieM

Yup - single mothers and immigrants - that must be it. Not only do they live in houses, thus leaving fewer houses for decent folk, but they also buy things, thus causing inflationary pressures and making houses less affordable for decent folk.
Seriously though, although your post could be seen as offensive, the point about the lack of social housing combined with the relatively (by EU standards) high proportion of single parents on low incomes in the UK and high immigration leading to a boom in the BTL market is valid. If you're trying to explain high house prices, they are fair points. If you are trying to somehow apportion blame for the boom, then you are barking up the wrong tree my friend.

rosysparkle

Gosh, yes it's all the fault of the single parents. You're so right. Some of them (like me) even work and pay tax, thus contributing to the economy. The odd one or two earn enough to buy houses, oops that's me again. I'm really sorry.

If I promise to go and live under a bridge with my b-word children, would that make you feel better about the housing market?

Me and my children don't make a 'family', we are a family.

Tonya_2

What do single mothers have to do with the boom in the market?
Is it not the desire to own properties that does this? If there are 20 people willing to buy 1 property, i guess it goes to the highest bidder, which pushes the prices up. Not rocket science eh!

paint

rosysparkle wrote:

Me and my children don't make a 'family', we are a family.

Quite right and well said.

How dare the OP disparage honest families in such a narrow-minded and disgustingly bigoted way - family units come in all shapes and sizes and none is inherently more valid than the next.

There is good reason why decent people no longer refer to the children of single parents as b@stards. It is offensive, hurtful and it marginalises children.

However, I have no issue with the term being used to describe a vicious, despicable, or thoroughly dislikeable person.

The OP seems intent on using this board as a forum in which to express his views on the 'permissive society' - working women and lesbians were the target the other day :rotfl:!

rosysparkle

paint wrote:

The OP seems intent on using this board as a forum in which to express his views on the 'permissive society' - working women and lesbians were the target the other day :rotfl:!

Note to Gorgeous George - I am a single mother (of four kids), I work full time, I've just bought a new house, but I like guys, OK? I even have a *gasp* boyfriend. One of these days we might move in together, perhaps get married (he wants to, I don't). We'll still be the same people.