Britain's Hidden Housing Crisis

michelle2008

The day Kevin missed the soup kitchen I am sure the camera crew went and bought him something to eat. I really hope they did.

No ones lifeis ever as straightforward as presented - but I hope someone watching knew Kevin in happier times and helps him out. I would offer my spare room to dozens of old friends - no matter how many years had passed

lessonlearned

I missed that. Must be careful what I say here.....

My experience is that traditional building societies are generally less agressive in recovering debt.

SailorSam

I thought watching Kevin that before the banking crisis that led to his downfall he must have thought his life was made, he must have had a nice home and top income , then to see it all disappear and his marriage fall out. And then at 52 to be in the gutter sleeping in a park shelter and doss house full of violent druggies, how many people in his position must start to think that suicide would be the only way out.
I hope he comes through this well.

ceecee1

I couldn't understand why the lady with cancer hadn't sold her property prior to the repossession. I am sure that they said at the beginning of the programme that she had bought it for £54k and that it was now valued at £180k....unless I misheard.

As a person living alone and with a mortgage I have always been worried about what would happen if I couldn't work. There must be a time when you have to make the hard decision to sell and come away with something rather than hanging on and having nothing. I hope I recognise that time if it ever comes.

Miss_Havisham

I noticed the family of 6 left the council offices and jumped into a taxi clutching take-away cups of coffee and the kids soft drinks. That's a tenner gone plus the cab fare (they needed to get back to the flat urgently though so fair enough).

The lady with cancer who looked after her grandchildren had a garden full of those large expensive slides and climbing frames etc. They were probably bought by the kids' parents but perhaps it would have been wiser to put that money aside in an emergency fund ?

Nevertheless it's sad to see anyone in distress like that, with no home to call their own.

rosie_drew

Ooooooooops, sounds just like me. Lived in big house interest only expecting house prices to keep escalating.

My house is rented out and I live in a caravan for £9 per night.

Glad I watched the programme now as it makes me even more aware that should I be unable to work and lose my tenants that my house will be repossessed.

I hope to keep going and to sell 2014 if I break even I will be happy.

Kevin - umm best not go back into investment banking.

Fam with kids smoking bad parents, she was a bit nutty.

Rich family - well just like me as already mentioned.

Cancer lady - could have rented out her house or sold.

Good viewing though an eye opener. x

Revill

Im a Street outreach worker (like one of the guys who went to find kevin in the park!) in nottingham, for a large homeless charity and housing association. i've been working in housing and homelessness for 6 years now.
In cases like the one involving kevin, things tend to progess very well, if not sometimes a little slowly, because kevin was being honest, and choosing to accept the help offered to him.
Hostels CAN be very scarey places for people who have never used them before, but unfortunately, thats the nature of the beast.
In cases like the one involving the family with 6 kids, having been evicted for rent arrears, i can tell you from 1st hand working experience, that councils dont make these decisions lightly where families are involved.
As some one has stated in a previous post, the housing officers would have set up various appointments, and given them various opportunities to get help and advice about the problem.
The long and short of it is this:
If he was out of work, with an active JSA claim, he would'dve been able to claim housing benefit. he wouldnt have been eligible for enough to cover the entire cost of a house for such a large family, so would've have to make up the short fall, which, on a joint housing benefit claim (for the 2 adults in the family) wouldnt have been much, if anything at all really.
The would've been in reciept of other family benefits, with them having so many kids and would've even been eligible for some sort of housing benefit top up for it.
What im saying, is that there is no way that they could've "genuinley" run up enough housing arrears to get kicked out, with out having thrown all of their income away, instead of engaging with rent payments.
You see this all the time, that "sense of entitlement" that leads people to think that they will get more by holding their hands out and stamping their feet, and playing the victim when it doesnt come through.

The stark reality is that there ISNT enough social housing to go around, and councils, on the most part DONT have a responsibility to pick you and help you on your way if you cant be bothered to do it yourself. There just isnt the time, money and resources.
If you are deemed priority need (like the lady suffering from cancer) then you WILL get help, but only the help you NEED and not necassarily the help you WANT.

We do have a housing problem in this country, but even bigger is the problem of that "sense of entitlement" and the diminished sense of responsibility we take for ourselves.

Dont even get me started on the other family....who at the end of the show, drove away in a BLOODY car EACH!!!

They cant even begin to plead poverty or homelessness....after i finish typing this, i have to go out and support a man with profound mental health issues, who is sleeping under a bridge, to make an application for a crisis loan so he can eat.

That's homelessness, that's poverty, that's real need.

SailorSam

When the benefit changes we've been promised next year kick-in the number of repossessions will no doubt increase even more. Perhaps some people could do more to help themselves but it's said many people are only 3 payslips away from losing their home and none of us can be sure what the future may bring.
Is it April when the rates/council tax changes mean people who now get 100% will have to start paying 20% themselves.

melysion

I dont understand why the rich family and the lady with cancer didn't just get a private rental. They are plenty of time to find something didn't they?

Or am I just being thick? I mean - thats precisely what I would have done.

Glad things were looking up for Kevin in the end.

Errata

Dont even get me started on the other family....who at the end of the show, drove away in a BLOODY car EACH!!!

Hang on there, just because someone is driving a car it doesn't mean they own it.