Britons forced in to 'modern day slavery' by soaring house prices!!

Generali

Melissa177 wrote: »

Public sector pay has risen dramatically - but not enough in some areas for people to buy their own houses.

What is driving the house price rises is:

- We're not building enough houses

In most areas there are plenty of houses IMO. If there's a general shortfall in supply, where are all the people living in tents and caravans? HPI has been caused by rising demand (that is people being prepared to pay more for any given property) and an increase in the supply of money caused by the carry trade and Chinese mercantilism.

Having said that there are some localised housing shortages, mostly in the outer suburbs. In my bit of West Kent there's masses of farmland that could be built on.

ManAtHome

So people who work in the private sector who's wages are held down by competition can carry on paying their taxes/subsidising "key workers"..?

As previously stated, it's next to impossible to categorise anyone as key or non-key - I'm sure we'd notice pretty quickly if refuse collections, water and power supplies etc were switched off if the non-key workers went on strike...

Guy_Montag

sal-ad_daze wrote: »

I agree prices are stupid!
When your dad bought his home, houses were still affordable - as was our first home- and could be purchased on a single wage.
I don't think (please correct me if I'm wrong) that Consultants would qualify as Key workers because most of them aren't just employed by the NHS and their second jobs probably earn them enough to pay the mortgage on their fully detached gated homes easily.
Key workers are, to my mind, anyone who works in government employment with restricted pay rises and nationally structured salaries so yes, hospital cleaners would qualify; and if you are paid the same way then yes you do!
It's the higher wage earners who are investing in buy to let property that are putting housing out of the range of the above mentioned people, not to mention 2nd homes in 'holiday' areas. If I had my way a house unoccupied for 2/3rd's of the year or more would be compulsory purchased and sold on for local benefit.

There are many things we could do that don't involve key-worker schemes or worse shared ownership schemes! We could build more houses - not flats. New towns - & give tax subsidies to encourage people out of the south east.

We could force people to get planning permission to convert a full time dwelling into a second home. Those that do get permission should have to pay a crippling level of council tax direct to central govt. (to discourage councils from mass conversions).

We could strengthen tenants rights, to discourage the idiot BTL crowd. We could impose CGT at the point of remortgaging, to make it harder to build up property empires through bubbles.

We could encourage councils to build more houses & let them sell them off if they want, but only for cost price on the guarantee that they replace those sold within one year.

And so on - all keyworker schemes and shared ownership do is make the situation worse.

Anyway so I've got my keyworker house, but now I'm fed up of university life & want to go work in industry. What do I do now? Do I have to move out of my lovely new house?

Melissa177

There are plenty of private sector workers who don't earn much. Why should they be denied housing subsidies like their key worker friends?

They are just as instrumental to the economy.

wifeforlife

sal-ad_daze wrote: »

Include subsidised homes for key workers in all areas to enable people who work in vital but low paid jobs the chance to own DECENT homes in DECENT areas.

I dont agree with this at all, I dont see why a teacher or anyone else has a right to own a house before me (I'm a civil servant) . I work just as hard with less money (13k yr) less benefits and less holidays. Everyone has a right to own a property affordable to them.

I dont begrudge anyone who has made money from property in the last few years but there has to come a time when there is a level playing field for us all.

Cate

drowningnotwaving_2

I could take this article slightly more seriously if it wasn't published in the Daily Mail, one of the most right wing papers on the market that has spent years supporting the very Thatcherite policies that have turned this society into one of haves and have nots.

It is always wise to take anything written in the Mail not just with a pinch of salt but with a truck load. I'm very surprised to see that the Mail has not blamed the ridiculous price of houses on immigrants/aslyum seekers - everything else is their fault as far as the Mail is concerned.

Melissa177

Generali wrote: »

In most areas there are plenty of houses IMO. If there's a general shortfall in supply, where are all the people living in tents and caravans? HPI has been caused by rising demand (that is people being prepared to pay more for any given property) and an increase in the supply of money caused by the carry trade and Chinese mercantilism.
.

I disagree with that analysis, because I see families crammed into smaller and smaller spaces. You're right when you say that we don't have people sleeping in tents (like we did in the late 40s, right?), but we do have families crammed into one bed flats.

wecanhelpu

If I had to buy my house today I coulnt afford to beacause the prices have

gone up so much faster than my wages.

I feel sorry for these young people today that can't afford it but i don't know

how the situation can be changed

Melissa177

cathy2702 wrote: »

I dont agree with this at all, I dont see why a teacher or anyone else has a right to own a house before me (I'm a civil servant) . I work just as hard with less money (13k yr) less benefits and less holidays. Everyone has a right to own a property affordable to them.

I dont begrudge anyone who has made money from property in the last few years but there has to come a time when there is a level playing field for us all.

Cate

I agree with the first part of your post, but not the second. There will never be a level playing field for all.

Generali

cathy2702 wrote: »

I dont agree with this at all, I dont see why a teacher or anyone else has a right to own a house before me (I'm a civil servant) . I work just as hard with less money (13k yr) less benefits and less holidays. Everyone has a right to own a property affordable to them.

I dont begrudge anyone who has made money from property in the last few years but there has to come a time when there is a level playing field for us all.

Cate

You get an index linked pension I assume. And you don't get the boot if the company's doing badly.

I was in a Fantasy Cricket league with a civil servant. He found the time at work each week to ring round all 18 counties to see who was playing well or badly, who was going to be picked etc. At least he bought me a pint with his winnings.

Civil Servants do ok in other areas than just salary.