Panorama; Council Housing.

adindas

If you want to live in house then you have got to work for it. Otherwise prepare to live under the bridge.

Or

Built a kind of temporary accommodation such as youth hostel one room to be shared with other ten people. If people want to live more comfortable then they have got to work for it.

The same principle apply here. The young people who want to have holiday abroad and can not effort to pay for a hotel, need to live in a hostel.

roddydogs

What on earth was the point of the presenter staying the night?

ahmjt

I have watched the Panorama programme after hearing about it from one of my colleagues.

For whatever reason I did not feel anything for the families who are expecting council housing there. Probably because most of these families are not working (may be they are unemployed or they do not like to work). I should not be judge them - but I did not feel any sympathy for them.

The story of the Police officer having multiple council flats and sub-letting them is quite common. He will never be properly punished to make us happy (I guess the laws do not have that in mind either). I know of a couple who got have so far bought two council houses (after being a council tenant on those), they are on their 3rd council property now showing husband and wife seperated. In real life they are not seperated. The husband stays somewhere else for 5 days a week for their new business, and comes back during weekends. Will complaining work? I doubt that as the husband was an ex-employee of the council's housing group.

The Ahmed-Simona con couple are doing this business with the help of council people. Another episode of Panorama - may be. I remember reading in the Daily Telegraph about newly arrived people easily getting council housing without having to wait for long. An old portugese lady arranges this for some fee. She has good links with the council.

An interesting point was briefly mentioned during the program. You can keep your council housing even if you own other properties. More needs to be discussed on this point. I think you can keep your council flat even if you win big in a lottery as long as you inform the authority.

Strange!

RuthnJasper

ahmjt wrote: »

I have watched the Panorama programme after hearing about it from one of my colleagues.

For whatever reason I did not feel anything for the families who are expecting council housing there. Probably because most of these families are not working (may be they are unemployed or they do not like to work). I should not be judge them - but I did not feel any sympathy for them.

The story of the Police officer having multiple council flats and sub-letting them is quite common. He will never be properly punished to make us happy (I guess the laws do not have that in mind either). I know of a couple who got have so far bought two council houses (after being a council tenant on those), they are on their 3rd council property now showing husband and wife seperated. In real life they are not seperated. The husband stays somewhere else for 5 days a week for their new business, and comes back during weekends. Will complaining work? I doubt that as the husband was an ex-employee of the council's housing group.

The Ahmed-Simona con couple are doing this business with the help of council people. Another episode of Panorama - may be. I remember reading in the Daily Telegraph about newly arrived people easily getting council housing without having to wait for long. An old portugese lady arranges this for some fee. She has good links with the council.

An interesting point was briefly mentioned during the program. You can keep your council housing even if you own other properties. More needs to be discussed on this point. I think you can keep your council flat even if you win big in a lottery as long as you inform the authority.

Strange!

I think that this is a large contributory factor in the problem - it is all too easy to diddle the system. If the Councils/Housing Associations had proper funding and resources, they would be better able to thoroughly investigate and deal with the scroungers. As it is, however, they are vastly over-worked and under-supported (both financially and otherwise). Until these officers (and Social Workers, for that matter) are given proper and adequate resourcing, they will not have enough time to deal with the cheats.

ahmjt

darlyd wrote: »

gotcha

Wish I could win the lottery, Y'a know what I would do? I would buy a huge field and build loads of houses, and sell them for minimum profit! OR rent very cheaply. I have always wanted to do that, aswel as running my own care company. (Love my job I do, but don't like the way companies run it).

I kind of know one guy who is now a millionaire. He has own care company. This guys was doing odd jobs in 2003/4. His wife got a job on a care company, then he got one too. From there on he is now the company owner and gets most of the jobs on the council. The guy is very clever. He was in two council houses which he eventually bought and sold (with good profit ofcourse). Now lives on a huge nice place.

ahmjt

brian_723 wrote: »

I glad I am not the only one that spotted the flat screen tv's ..

And the leather couch.

tori.k

boo1 wrote: »

That is so wrong. I work in Housing and always thought that if you lose your home through non payment of rent then you are intentionally homeless, that's how it is with our local Council. She must have told them some story :mad:. It gives totally the wrong impression, don't pay your rent and lose your home but don't worry you can have a new one!!!

She has 2 children so the council had to re-house her ( as they should) but i think its wrong that she get's away with not having to re-pay the housing benefit that the council paid her as far as im aware even tho its paid as housing benefit there is nothing the council can do if the tennent doesn't actually pay the rent with it, they couldn't stop paying her as she was entitled to it, im told this is quite common now since they stopped most direct payments to landlords.

Years ago the council had the right to reappropriate homes as circumstances changed, is this no longer the case? as hard as it sounds to make a older person move out of a family home that they have lived in for 20/30 years, it would at least start the housing stock moving

Cat1

tori.k wrote: »

Years ago the council had the right to reappropriate homes as circumstances changed, is this no longer the case? as hard as it sounds to make a older person move out of a family home that they have lived in for 20/30 years, it would at least start the housing stock moving

My ex MIL swapped her 3 bed housing council / HA house in Somerset for one in Dorset. Her children had long left home, no partner and I never understood why it was her right to remain in it, let alone swap it on a like for like basis! I really think if she wanted to move house she should have her needs reassessed and be prepared to accept 1 bed accommodation!

I know of many older single people and married couples still residing in 3 bed council / HA properties when they have no 'need' for them still. I believe the housing association offers them alternative housing and a cash incentive to free up the houses but none of the people I know have accepted.

catkins

zara*elise wrote: »

Call me a cynic, but the person with the mould and flooded basement probably wanted it left that way. Probably though if they left it they could then moan to the council about it being unfit for living and how they NEED a new place. I'm pretty sure if they had those problems would be dealt with quickly.

They were the only ones I felt sorry for. How can you live in a place so cold you can see your breath? Also mould on the walls and a river running through the basement?

The landlord should be ashamed of him/herself but unfortunately landlords get away with things like that.

I live in a rented house and my landlord has done nothing to the property for years (I have lived here 6 years and the previous tenant was 10 years). I do not have as bad problems as the people in the programme but do have some problems and anything that has needed to be done either we have had to pay someone to do or my husband has done it himself - the heating packing up, electrical problems, a bad flood due to faulty plumbing. Even had to pay to have the whole of the downstair recarpeted (the carpet was soaked with dog pee and stunk) - after a year of living with bare boards we got sick of our landlord's promise to sort it out.

Of course we could move but the house is close to my work, close to family, we are allowed to have pets and the rent, although not cheap at almost £1,000 a month is actually cheaper than most of the rents in my area and has not increased for a couple of years.

catkins

This programme made me angry. If you are going to make a programme like this then at least find some people who genuinely need to be housed - I am sure there are quite a lot around!

The family of 9 - no sympathy whatsoever. You have a 3 bedroomed house which a lot of families would be grateful for - don't keep having children so that 3 bedroom become not enough. I take it neither her, her partner or her elder children worked?

The young couple expecting a baby - well first why did he not work? If there was a genuine reason why were we not told? Did she work before becoming pregnant? If you cannot afford the rent on the property you are living in you make damn sure you do not get pregnant. I bet they thought if she got pregnant they would get a council place.

I was amazed at the rent the policeman paid for a nice, roomy flat on the river in London - less than £100 a week!! Can you imagine what it would cost for a private rented flat there? I really think it is unfair that the difference in social housing rent and private rent is so large.

I just find the criteria for qualifying for social housing to be totally unfair. I have friends who both work and have 2 children. They rent a house which costs £900 a month (the going rate). They do get a bit of help with the rent but as they are both on minimum wage they are really struggling to make ends meet. They got on to the council and were told they stood no chance at all BECAUSE THEY BOTH WORK!!! So all the lazy so and so's get housed and hardworking honest people do not!

My husband has worked for a couple of housing associations in and around London and he said he could not understand how the majority of tenants had managed to get places. Most did not work, most had loads of kids and a large majority were immigrants who did not work, did not speak english and had been in the country very little time - then we are meant to believe people sit on lists for years and it is also done fairly!