I dont get it, council housing.

ladycutch

Hello.

My best friend has been on the council waiting list for about 6 years now. She has three children. She all but gave up on getting anywhere and now rents after getting a better job.

My cousin went on the waiting list in decmeber and just got offered a flat this morning.

I feel a bit stupid now as when he told everyone he was on the waiting list I told him he had no chance at all of getting a council property, he works full time, lives with his partner in a two bed house, no kids, she works full time too, they are renting right now. both in good health, on paper there is no reason why he "needs" a council property.

Now he has a flat from the council.

I dont really understand how he has got a place from the council and my friend didnt. was she doing something wrong?

I thought they were given to people in need?

HappyMJ

They might have more properties of the right type. Your friend who has been waiting 6 years is currently housed so there is no real urgency to get a council house. She is also able to move to a bigger property by herself without council assistance. Your cousin may have been lucky enough to fit the correct profile for a property that has come up. My local housing association won't rent 2nd floor flats to anyone with children so they may have just been lucky.

casualwalks

It will also depend on availability. Some councils have more housing than others.

BigAunty

If they are in different areas, then there will different demand/supply pressures. I imagine that family sized housing is the scarcest and most in demand.

In my local area, I could walk into a council flat if I was single and didn't mind a high rise on the edge of town. Meanwhile, my friend who was already in social housing and overcrowded had to wait years to move from a crowded flat to a larger house.

I saw a report on the councils supply and demand for social housing and it was clear that there is a huge mismatch in their stock versus what the applicants are seeking.

In my last local area which had choice based letting, large properties attracted hundreds of bids whereas some of the studio flats would attract a handful.

Perhaps your best friend needs to check up on the status of her application to ensure it's still active.

skylight

We also have a lot of flats that are just not wanted by anyone! My BIL and family moved into a 3bed flat after a 6 month wait from a 2bed flat - they decided they urgently needed the space rather than a garden. They would be waiting a long time for a house.


With council and HA housing, you join the list and take your chances. If there are few people in your category looking for a not-wanted type of home, then they are more likely to be housed faster.

Of course, then there are also the liars - the ones who claim to have nowhere to live but do (councils try to weed these out).

mazza111

Your friend will need a 3 bedroom property. Only really come up with mutual exchange or if someone dies unfortunately. Your brother got a 2 bedroom flat. If it's anything like this area, they are a lot easier to get. In fact, it got so bad in one area of the town that they just couldn't fill the flats and every 2nd flat now has a polish resident, at least the flats are let and making some money now.