How Many Spare Houses Would We Have If ....

PasturesNew

lisyloo wrote: »

....

I have some replies for some of this, but it's all a bit hard to type at the moment. It'd get my head in a spin.

But the bottom line comes down to: what would somebody without spare money do? They'd have to make a choice.

The system, as it is, is that those with money have choices by buying 2 houses. Those without money have to make hard decisions because, in part, some people aren't using what they've got.

If you were in the other camp, how'd you feel if you were renting an overpriced shoebox and having to walk past 1000 empty homes every morning as you trudged to work? Although, in London, you probably do if you walk in the posh bits.

This isn't about reducing people's choice.... it's about enabling more choice, with better overall outcomes, for more people.

If you HAD to choose one house over the other, you'd do it. It'd not be a real "hardship", just a nagging nuisance as you'd still have one that you called home. People unable to buy as all the empty houses are for people to visit 3 weekends a year, or because the LL watched too much HutH, or because students have taken over the area of town where they grew up ... all situations where homes are being used for gain and not homes to give roots. Not community-focussed housing, but profit pots.

lisyloo

I live in central London and I'm pretty sure anecdotally (lack of noise, people, lighting) that some of the flats are empty.
I've heard that many of the new builds are bought by foreign investors and left empty.
Surely this problem needs to be tackled first before people who have varying degrees of needs/wants for a second home.

Why are we talking about people who have needs to live somewhere when there are bucket loads of flats standing empty in London?

PasturesNew

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

These are already in existence as sheltered housing, surely?

As an older person with no care needs I would loathe and detest being told I had to live in a commune. I've just bought a bungalow with a large garden.

When I said about single people having higher density housing, I merely meant that if new smaller units of housing are to be built, then they will be higher density than in the past. I'm not saying single people should be forced to live in them!

Sheltered housing, types and locations, are hit and miss depending on where you live.

Without care needs, you'd not have to make that choice, but, if you suddenly found yourself unable to get further than 10' from your door, it'd be attractive. Especially if you knew all your neighbours were in similar positions. Also, if you like gardening, some do have garden areas.

I tried to find my mum some sheltered-style housing a few years back and it was almost impossible due to lack of provision (private or council owned). The lists were too long.... but, it turned out, she was beyond the sheltered stage, as we were soon to discover.

PasturesNew

lisyloo wrote: »

I live in central London and I'm pretty sure anecdotally (lack of noise, people, lighting) that some of the flats are empty.
I've heard that many of the new builds are bought by foreign investors and left empty.
Surely this problem needs to be tackled first before people who have varying degrees of needs/wants for a second home.

Why are we talking about people who have needs to live somewhere when there are bucket loads of flats standing empty in London?

Well, they're 2nd homes, so come under that rule. Or non-property-businesses where property's been bought for profit, so come under one of the other rules.

seven-day-weekend

PasturesNew wrote: »

Sheltered housing, types and locations, are hit and miss depending on where you live.

Without care needs, you'd not have to make that choice, but, if you suddenly found yourself unable to get further than 10' from your door, it'd be attractive. Especially if you knew all your neighbours were in similar positions. Also, if you like gardening, some do have garden areas.

I tried to find my mum some sheltered-style housing a few years back and it was almost impossible due to lack of provision (private or council owned). The lists were too long.... but, it turned out, she was beyond the sheltered stage, as we were soon to discover.

I agree there. If it came to that, I would go into a McCarthy and Stone place.

lisyloo

what would somebody without spare money do? They'd have to make a choice.

If the salary doesn't justify the costs of living/travelling somewhere then clearly you can't take the job.
So the choice was job away from home or unemployment.

If you were in the other camp, how'd you feel if you were renting an overpriced shoebox, and having to walk past 1000 empty homes every morning as you trudged to work?

I am exactly in that camp.
Our accom is a 1 bed flat worth £500K (which we can't afford to buy) and lots of them are empty because they are owned by investors and not people living there.
So yes, I AM exactly in that camp.

it's about enabling more choice, with better overall outcomes, for more people.

Except for people like us, who need to work where we don't live?

If you HAD to choose one house over the other, you'd do it. It'd not be a real "hardship",

My normally healthy partner was suffering from a real lack of self-esteem after a long period of unemployment.
I worried every single day about his mental health and at periods of great dissapointment I was seriously worried that he might end it all.

If we HAD to chose then he'd probably do the 5 hour commute every day and I'd get up at 6am to take him to the station (although in our case season ticket is and exact match for then rent).
Yes I do consider that a hardship and you know what one "final straw" was for me? It was when I crashed the car at 6:15.
So it's not a "nagging inconvenience" when you're pushed to the point of being unsafe on the roads.

I don't think you are justified in expecting us to do a 5 hour commute (on a good day) so that other people can have the accomondation instead.

Sorry we have as much right to be there as others and I feel our reasons for doing so a perfectly justfied i.e. work and family care.
I would actaully prefer to have jobs near our home, but that doesn't always work out for people these days.

lisyloo

Well, they're 2nd homes

I think there's a difference between someone in the UK having a second home that they use (in some cases for work or family care) and Chinese peple buying flats purely as an investment.
I think they should be treated differently.

Many of the new flats around Battersea are purely financial speculation and I'm trying to communicate that this is different to people like us, who I feel have a need that is as genuine as anyone else not prepared to do a 5 hour commute.

PasturesNew

lisyloo wrote: »

....

Because of my communication problems, although I could answer some of this it'd end up [a] way too long confusing -and- [c] I'd end up typing something that I didn't mean and somebody else'd pick up on what I'd put and not what I meant ... and I'd get all confused

I've made the choice of work/live so many, many times - always unsatisfactory, but what had to be done.

My daily commute limit was 50 miles. Even that meant the cost of fuel knocked off the salary meant I'd earn more if I worked in the local chippy. I've done 200 miles away and stayed in a B&B (well, 2 B&Bs and an airBNB type of place) four nights a week. I've also optimistically sold/relocated a few times to look for work.

I've relocated 350 miles, 100 miles, 100 miles, 200 miles and 200 miles away in the last 18 years, looking for that elusive job.

Now, I don't work .... I've lost all confidence to be honest, I don't believe they'd "pick me" if I got as far as an interview

chucknorris

PasturesNew wrote: »

Now, I don't work .... I've lost all confidence to be honest, I don't believe they'd "pick me" if I got as far as an interview

Confidence is a very fragile thing, I've returned to (my career) work twice after long absences (about 3 and 10 years, although the latter was lecturing in the same subject area). Both times it was a case of starting with a feeling of wondering how I could cope, but 'knowing' deep down, that although it would be difficult at first, it would all come back to me (and it did, but I was outside my comfort zone initially). A friend of mine recently returned to work after about 7-8 years absence, but unfortunately she didn't last long enough to get her confidence back and left after 2-3 months, it isn't an easy thing to do (depending on the job of course).

stator

Haven't read this thread but agree with the OP.
If there was a shortage of food you would ration it. If there was a shortgage of water you would ration it.
Housing is such a basic need that it should be rationed too.