Couple with child near me, offered a 2-bed bungalow in social housing!

paulineb_2

Chrissie72 wrote: »

Just wondered; how could this happen?

This couple are mid 40s, they have a child of 13, and have been in private let for 3.5 years since going bankrupt in late 2009.

She told me that she has been on the housing list for 5 years - 1.5 years before she and her husband went bankrupt. And last week, they were offered a bungalow from a local housing association!

I am baffled as they're not elderly or disabled. Only under occupied (the private let has 3 bedrooms,) but I think you would only get priority for under-occupying, if you're on housing benefit and her husband actually works, so they can't be. She is a stay at home mum and he works full time. The rent is only £70 a week, instead of £150 a week that their private let house is! They will have masses of surplus left. If they have been paying £150 a week, then they will be saving £80 a week!

Spare me the 'you sound jealous' and 'what's it got to do with you' lectures please I just wonder why and how they would be offered a bungalow. It's in a very nice area too.... a village with only 450 people, 4 miles from the nearest main town, half a mile from a main road, and with no shops or schools for a mile. I would have thought that kind of area would be highly sought after! It's so quiet and rural, yet only 4 miles from a large main town.

Its not just disabled or elderly people who qualify for social housing and to be fair, theyve been on the waiting list for 5 years.

And what difference does it make what the rent is. Its well known that private landlords often charge much more than the social housing sector.

The rent in my specific area of town where I live is £55 a week and thats for a two bedroom flat.

If I were to move into a private let in this area I could be looking at paying £400 a month for a one bedroomed flat.

My mum is still in the council house that I grew up in, she was offered a two bedroom house for herself and myself, she had my brother while she was living there. The previous flat she was in was also council housing but it was going to be demolished (wasnt in the end but everyone was decanted).

You put your name on the list, you wait and you get offered. Also, many social housing flats or houses for elderly people are 1 apt houses. Its not really surprising that a 2 bedroom house would be offered to a family.

Its really none of your business anyway to be fair.

Lord_Baltimore

bazra wrote: »

If you are that 'curious' then talk to the housing association about thier policies.......

This is what I would do and I think it's reasonable too to ask the Authority to qualify their decision in relation to this specific case. After all, this is public money.

lighting_up_the_chalice

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

This is what I would do and I think it's reasonable too to ask the Authority to qualify their decision in relation to this specific case. After all, this is public money.

The NHS is run with public money. Should we all have access to your medical records? Pensions are funded by NI contributions, perhaps we should be able to access your income details as well? Just because public money is used, doesn't make everything associated with it public property.

Lord_Baltimore

bazra wrote: »

Which the husband contributes to because he works.

True, but he's not the only one contributing to the public pot.

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

Just because public money is used, doesn't make everything associated with it public property.

I didn't say it did but I don't see this limits the right to ask the question. In fact, aren't we all encouraged to take interest in local issues, spending and priorities?

Valli

If they have been on the list for 5 years then that, in itself, would go a fair way to explain this. And, as has been suggested, poor transport links may be the reason others have turned it down.

Blackpool_Saver

I feel sorry for them, before they even get to their new home people are being unkind to them, leave them alone to try to enjoy their new home

Lord_Baltimore

Valli wrote: »

If they have been on the list for 5 years then that, in itself, would go a fair way to explain this. And, as has been suggested, poor transport links may be the reason others have turned it down.

Possibly, but there's no harm in establishing the facts with the Authority.

CKhalvashi

theartfullodger wrote: »

Perhaps they are getting help from a councillor or council officer: Corruption over such matters is not unknown..

Because the abovementioned usually have experience in wording applications, and whilst there isn't as such corruption, the wording of any disability or additional needs can be enough to tip the points scale.

I've always mentioned, that if you feel you're not being offered support, speak to your local Cllr in Housing in a number of situations on these boards, and this is why.

MUCH more likely they've been on the list, bid for something & won.. Have you VERY CAREFULLY read the local "housing allocation" policy, checked it against their ACTUAL CIRCUMSTANCES (ie not what everyone gossips about but reality - which may well be private) and worked out what priority they might get?

Each council area must have an allocation policy: (Broadly) as long as it is rational then that's what matters (eg could be allocate on basis of application date...)

Ours is a pure points-based system, however there are mechanisms in place, so that if there's a dire need for someone homeless to be in accommodation, and there are 1-2 people ahead of this person who are in housing, this can be tweaked a little.

When we drew the policy, we took into account all considerations and all circumstances, and whilst there is some flexibility in how it works, there certainly isn't any 'corruption' going on.

leveller2911 wrote: »

Many Social Housing landlords are now raising the rents for new tenants. Just up the road from us a house has become vacant and the previous tenants were paying £92-00 a week rent.A couple we know who are also tenants of the same Housing Association would like to move into the vacant house but have been told by the HA the new rent will be £149-00 a week.The couple are existing tenants of the same landlord and only want to move 50yds but apparently its viewed as a "new tenancy". This is because Social Landlords can now charge up to 80% of the average rents in area AFAIA.

Not in this area, both of our local HA's are keeping the rents low for 'movers' and only starting genuinely 'new' tenancies on the higher rate.

As previously mentioned services in villages can be dire and so the uptake of Social Housing in rural areas may reflect this.

Again, this has been true until very recently, but we put a tender out a few months back (when I still was a County Cllr), and this is designed to change the way that care services are offered in towns/villages. One local supplier (owned by around 70% of its current 120 staff, in the town) is currently advertising for 150 new jobs, mainly working rural areas, so if it works here, things are likely to change nationally.

CK

paulineb_2

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

This is what I would do and I think it's reasonable too to ask the Authority to qualify their decision in relation to this specific case. After all, this is public money.

People who work are allowed to get council housing and housing association housing. My mum was employed when she got her council house and she still is (she bought it some years ago)

Also, hes paying rent, full rent. Hes paying his way, hes not getting something for nothing. He'll be paying full rent probably and council tax.

If these people were on benefits they might be criticised a bit more, but Im not sure really what the objection to this allocation is.

Working family in council house allocation shocker, arent privately renting. Waited for a house for 5 years and then got one. Would it bother you more if someone rocked up with their kids and they were all on the dole?

Im also pretty sure the housing association concerned know how to allocate houses out to people on the list, its their job.

I also dont think a housing association would tell some random person who phoned up upset about why someone got a housing offer why they were offered it. Or why other people didnt.

For all any of us know, 10 people could have been offered the house already and turned it down.

And if people are so bothered about how public money is spent, maybe they could do a random checklist on every single person in the UK who claims any kind of benefit, child benefit, working tax credit, JSA, child tax credit and try and find out what they are spending it on. Just to see if it meets with some nosey !!!!!!s approval or not.

Perhaps people who want a housing association flat shouldnt be offered nice looking properties and should just live in some sink estate.

I think the reaction is down to envy and no one knows how tough this couple might have had it over the last few years.

Just leave them to it.

Lord_Baltimore

paulineb wrote: »

People who work are allowed to get council housing and housing association housing. My mum was employed when she got her council house and she still is (she bought it some years ago)

Also, hes paying rent, full rent. Hes paying his way, hes not getting something for nothing. He'll be paying full rent probably and council tax.

If these people were on benefits they might be criticised a bit more, but Im not sure really what the objection to this allocation is.

Working family in council house allocation shocker, arent privately renting. Waited for a house for 5 years and then got one. Would it bother you more if someone rocked up with their kids and they were all on the dole?

Im also pretty sure the housing association concerned know how to allocate houses out to people on the list, its their job.

I also dont think a housing association would tell some random person who phoned up upset about why someone got a housing offer why they were offered it. Or why other people didnt.

For all any of us know, 10 people could have been offered the house already and turned it down.

And if people are so bothered about how public money is spent, maybe they could do a random checklist on every single person in the UK who claims any kind of benefit, child benefit, working tax credit, JSA, child tax credit and try and find out what they are spending it on. Just to see if it meets with some nosey !!!!!!s approval or not.

Perhaps people who want a housing association flat shouldnt be offered nice looking properties and should just live in some sink estate.

I think the reaction is down to envy and no one knows how tough this couple might have had it over the last few years.

Just leave them to it.

With respect, that's a lot of 'ifs' in your post. There's no objection to establishing the actual facts is there?

That this couple may "have had it tough" is irrelevant.