Are new houses really needed ?.

CLAPTON

patman99 wrote: »

I got my figures from a series on C4 last year which highlighted the number of empty houses in England and Wales. They even had an app that allowed you to take a photo of an empty property and add it to their map.

In Colchester they are building new homes like there is no tomorrow. Trouble is, the vast majority of 1, 2 and 3 bed properties are being snapped-up by large buy-to-letters.
Also, 30% of the houses being built are for social housing (according to a site manager fr a major house-builder that I know, social houses have to meet strict minimum floor sizes for each room and are thus bigger than the ones built for the private market).

Having worked on one major site in the Town, I can safely say that with small rooms and gardens the size of postage stamps, these houses are smaller than the Victorian terraces they knocked-down to build them. In fact, I would go as far as to say they represent moden-day slum housing.

does slum housing = small houses?

antrobus

patman99 wrote: »

I got my figures from a series on C4 last year which highlighted the number of empty houses in England and Wales. ...

Their figures were wrong.

patman99 wrote: »

...They even had an app that allowed you to take a photo of an empty property and add it to their map.

Well there you go. Basing your data on what any old passing numpty with a smartphone thinks is an empty property is bound to give you the wrong answer.

pbouk

Bantex wrote: »

Where are all these people who have not got anywhere to live?

Exactly! there are more than enough houses as I originally said.

CLAPTON

pbouk wrote: »

Exactly! there are more than enough houses as I originally said.

being wrong twice is nothing to boast about

Cornucopia

Let's tackle a few myths...

- Where are all the homeless people living?

Those displaced from social housing are living on floors, hostels, B&Bs, etc.

Those displaced from renting/buying privately are living at home with parents into their 30s, living in HMOs, flat-shares, etc., when they would rather have their own place.

- What constitutes a slum?

Property experts generally view the money in a property in terms of kitchens and bathrooms. So, once obvious structural issues have been considered, that'll be next on the list. Very often the "northern town" derelict districts are made up of houses that are structurally sound, but the wrong layout for modern tastes, a little small and without good kitchens, indoor toilets, etc. They can be refurbished, and I think this would be a good use of public money. I'd certainly rather see that than see vast green areas being dug up.

- Why are there slums whilst London & SE is booming?

The $64000 question, and it's because our economy has been allowed over a prolonged period to evolve into two (or more) speeds. The Government needs to find a way to resolve this issue (and I suspect it's more complicated than just diverting tax revenue from the SE to other parts of the country). They need to consider investment incentives as well as the relocation of Government and large organisations to the affected areas.

CLAPTON

Cornucopia wrote: »

Let's tackle a few myths...

- Where are all the homeless people living?

Those displaced from social housing are living on floors, hostels, B&Bs, etc.

Those displaced from renting/buying privately are living at home with parents into their 30s, living in HMOs, flat-shares, etc., when they would rather have their own place.

- What constitutes a slum?

Property experts generally view the money in a property in terms of kitchens and bathrooms. So, once obvious structural issues have been considered, that'll be next on the list. Very often the "northern town" derelict districts are made up of houses that are structurally sound, but the wrong layout for modern tastes, a little small and without good kitchens, indoor toilets, etc. They can be refurbished, and I think this would be a good use of public money. I'd certainly rather see that than see vast green areas being dug up.

- Why are there slums whilst London & SE is booming?

The $64000 question, and it's because our economy has been allowed over a prolonged period to evolve into two (or more) speeds. The Government needs to find a way to resolve this issue (and I suspect it's more complicated than just diverting tax revenue from the SE to other parts of the country). They need to consider investment incentives as well as the relocation of Government and large organisations to the affected areas.

do you have any evidence ?

Cornucopia

Evidence for what?

20 years as a property investor?

CLAPTON

Cornucopia wrote: »

Evidence for what?

20 years as a property investor?

evidence for where all the 'homeless' are living?

Cornucopia

Anecdotally.

And from the C4 series about Tower Hamlets council and Croydon council housing departments.

The councils are certainly housing people in urgent housing need in B&Bs. We can probably find figures somewhere.

The estimated official shortfall of 300,000 homes will be made up of a number of different categories of homelessness.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/oct/15/bed-and-breakfast-families-crisis

CLAPTON

Cornucopia wrote: »

Anecdotally.

And from the C4 series about Tower Hamlets council and Croydon council housing departments.

The councils are certainly housing people in urgent housing need in B&Bs. We can probably find figures somewhere.

The estimated official shortfall of 300,000 homes will be made up of a number of different categories of homelessness.

surely there have always been people in B&Bs?
doesn't the system work that way?