Living near Affordable Housing - Whats it really like?

charlieismydarling

It's all well and good you and your neighbours being good citizens and nice people to live around, but the fact is that council and HA tenants are more likely to be guilty of anti social behaviour than other people.

There's no point getting on your high horse about it, it's just a fact.

I am not on a high horse, I would just like some hard facts and evidence, as opposed to assumptions and ignorance. Even if social housing tenants are more likely to be guilty of anti social behaviour, it doesn't follow that all social housing tenants will be.

Also it ignores my statement that councils and Has will only allow the most reliable tenants to move into new builds. Sigh

Lister_2

charlieismydarling wrote: »

I am not on a high horse, I would just like some hard facts and evidence, as opposed to assumptions and ignorance.

I don't think there's any assumption going on. I can take a trip down any social housing area near me and there is rubbish all over the front lawns and feral kids roaming free. This includes two recent new build estates, one being a very posh waterfront development. The riverside has now become a no go area after dark.

I have good friends who live on another ex-council estate. Like yourself they are good hardworking people with a young family, but they have had to put up with two sets of nightmarish neighbours moved there by the housing association.

Again, nobody is saying that all people in such estates are bad neighbours, and I feel greatly for the decent people, but unfortunately the evidence you ask for is plain for anyone to see.

martinsurrey

charlieismydarling wrote: »

Those council tenants that are anti-social, in rent arrears and generally undesirable will not be rehoused in new builds.

Council tenants can be evicted for anti social behaviour.

Your own post contradicts its self in a way.

The people who get moved around in social housing the most, are the antisocial people for the very reason you give, they cause trouble, the council investigate, and the HA/council move them around, but they don’t make a family homeless, they move them to a house in a new location.

And yes you can get a new build with a history of antisocial behaviour, very easily.

The very fact you give about most of your street being long term is part of the reason new builds are often the used to re house problem tenants, as they cause a lot of complaints on long term established estates, like yours.

No one on here has said that every HA tenant is a problem, but the fact is that the HA have responsibilities to re house some of the most difficult tenants, and sometimes they use the lack of a community history in a new build estate to try and break the cycle of anti social offending (with VERY mixed results).

This is not a thread bashing every HA tenant, it’s a threat pointing out the very real financial risks of an unknown HA allocation near the biggest purchase of your life. And while you can never eliminate the risks of bad neighbours (private or HA) going in blind is a risk.

Johnnytwostep

Don't do it, why would you want your life blighted and paying so much money at the same time for the privilege.

Anti-social behaviour, litter, rusty cars, fighting, parties till all hours as they don't need to get up in the morning until Jeremy Kyle comes on. Dozens of feral children each roaming the streets all hours of the day and night not being watched.

And you get to pay a premium price for this.

bclark

You need to talk to the developer about their plans. When I bought through Redrow they were able to tell me exactly which ones were social and which were shared ownership, in our case only 4 out of 20 on the entire development were social houses or council housing for another phrase.

I have to say the misunderstanding about the affordable/social housing on new build developments is very depressing and tends to tar evryone with the same brush. Leaving aside the argument that the vast majority of council tenants are decent and law abiding people anyway, in my own experience most of the affordable housing on new build developments is not this type anyway.

Affordable housing tends to be shared ownership which is often aimed at key workers. The people who buy these will still need to come up with a deposit and qualify for their mortgage and keep up with payments. They are people who will have jobs and will care for their home and area as much as anyone else does, these types of homes are becoming more and more common as house prices become less affordable for so many so its sad that people assume that those living there are trouble and sit in their front gardens drinking beer!

bclark

Johnnytwostep wrote: »

Don't do it, why would you want your life blighted and paying so much money at the same time for the privilege.

Anti-social behaviour, litter, rusty cars, fighting, parties till all hours as they don't need to get up in the morning until Jeremy Kyle comes on. Dozens of feral children each roaming the streets all hours of the day and night not being watched.

And you get to pay a premium price for this.

Dear me, what a disgusting attitude.

MrParsons

Thanks again guys.

for those questioning the morals of this I currently live on a council estate which has a proportion of houses now privately owned and purchased form the council. I inherited this house and it has been in my family for generations. I have no problem with people who are on justifiably on benefits or who earn less than me.

What I would have a problem with is the value of my house depreciating because of the perception of the chavs / neds being disruptive. I have to say though, I doubt this house would be at the price I have agreed if it was on the other side of the development.

The are in general is held in high regard and is a sought after location and has a reputation of being a little on the snobby side. Its called Copt Oak gardens by Taylor Wimpey if anyone is interested in looking it up.

paulineb_2

MrParsons wrote: »

No one is saying you can't. and good for you for being in that situation.

However its a perfectly honest question and your situation is not totally relevant. People who don't work, cause trouble and are louts have to live somewhere. I am trying to mitigate my risk of living near them and I have a right to do so.

Thats a ridiculous generalisation. Ive had 2 spells of unemployment in the last 4 years, it didnt turn me into a troublemaking lout. Its not the unemployment that turns people anti social. Some people grow up in homes where anti social behaviour is all they know, add that to poverty and exclusion and a lot of people with the same issues in a small area, yes it can be a recipe for disaster.

But to say people who dont work cause trouble, its not true. People are being made redundant daily in these economic times, they wont all turn into trouble causing louts the minute they step through the door of the benefits office.

And as I said previously, I know exactly what its like to live in an anti social area, but please stop generalising and sterotyping.

If you lost your job/business tomorrow would that automatically turn you into a lout?

OddballJamie

I believe the phrase 'won't work' would have been more appropiate.

MrParsons

paulineb wrote: »

Thats a ridiculous generalisation. Ive had 2 spells of unemployment in the last 4 years, it didnt turn me into a troublemaking lout. Its not the unemployment that turns people anti social. Some people grow up in homes where anti social behaviour is all they know, add that to poverty and exclusion and a lot of people with the same issues in a small area, yes it can be a recipe for disaster.

But to say people who dont work cause trouble, its not true. People are being made redundant daily in these economic times, they wont all turn into trouble causing louts the minute they step through the door of the benefits office.

And as I said previously, I know exactly what its like to live in an anti social area, but please stop generalising and sterotyping.

If you lost your job/business tomorrow would that automatically turn you into a lout?

No... nor did I say every person who is unemployed will be. I'd love for you to introduce me to a person who works hard, owns a 300k house, has a good job but is still anti-social, takes no care of the house or nearby environment though. But anyhow, that's nothing to do with my question.

I've been on the phone to the developer again and they have said there will 15 rented accommodations and 3 shared equity. The rentals are "affordable rent" properties and will be managed by a company called Hello Property.