Eligibility for social housing ?

Tammykitty

Guest101 wrote: »

Well everyone can apply, but I don't see how your 'needs' require social housing.


You have money and a job.


I don't see any reason for the taxpayer to supplement you beyond any benefit entitlement you are already eligible for.


Social housing is not a 'fair' rent, it is subsidised.

No it isn't subsidized anymore than private renting is subsidized by housing benefit.


Social housing is not for profit - not the same thing as subsidised

Guest101

deannatrois wrote: »

Unfair has little to do with demand. Four years ago you could rent a 3 bed house for £700. Rents were just starting to rise as we are within commuter distance from London. Government changes to HB/benefit caps and rising rents in London have made this area very popular. Rents are now double what they were.

Unfair has little to do with it. Council rents are less than half of private rents which will probably continue to rise. I'm not sure its overly useful to tell someone looking to rent to wait until an imaginary bubble bursts. It may not, or it may, but still leave rents much higher than social housing rents. And very much depends on the area, and demand.

The point being a rent cannot really be 'unfair'.


Rents are set by supply and demand. The fact that the OP doesn't want to pay that amount is irrelevant, as someone is willing to pay it.


Council rents are less than 50% because I pay the remainder, as does every tax payer.

Guest101

Tammykitty wrote: »

No it isn't subsidized anymore than private renting is subsidized by housing benefit.


Social housing is not for profit - not the same thing as subsidised

Apples and oranges.


Social housing is subsidised. the rent paid does not cover the cost of providing and maintaining the property. And under right to buy, those rent payments then disappear in the form of a discount.


Housing benefit is a personal benefit. The fact it's used to pay private landlords is totally irrelevant.

Tammykitty

Guest101 wrote: »

Apples and oranges.


Social housing is subsidised. the rent paid does not cover the cost of providing and maintaining the property. And under right to buy, those rent payments then disappear in the form of a discount.


Housing benefit is a personal benefit. The fact it's used to pay private landlords is totally irrelevant.

Yes it does in most cases anyway,(Grants may be provided to some social housing providers for building etc, but not all providers and grants arte not provided to cover maintenance) it just doesn't make a profit for the landlord.

Guest101

Tammykitty wrote: »

Yes it does in most cases anyway,(Grants may be provided to some social housing providers for building etc, but not all providers and grants arte not provided to cover maintenance) it just doesn't make a profit for the landlord.

Yes I'm sure my local council isn't subsidising the cost of it's housing, I'm sure the accounts will corroborate what you say...

onlyroz

You can certainly go on the list but you are likely to have a long wait. Unless, that is, you are pregnant or fleeing domestic violence.

Guest101

onlyroz wrote: »

You can certainly go on the list but you are likely to have a long wait. Unless, that is, you are pregnant or fleeing domestic violence.

In both of those cases there is still no automatic entitlement to social housing.


Other alternatives will be investigated.

spadoosh

deannatrois wrote: »

Unfair has little to do with demand. Four years ago you could rent a 3 bed house for £700. Rents were just starting to rise as we are within commuter distance from London. Government changes to HB/benefit caps and rising rents in London have made this area very popular. Rents are now double what they were.

Unfair has little to do with it. Council rents are less than half of private rents which will probably continue to rise. I'm not sure its overly useful to tell someone looking to rent to wait until an imaginary bubble bursts. It may not, or it may, but still leave rents much higher than social housing rents. And very much depends on the area, and demand.

However, I do agree that the OP has little chance of social housing in the immediate future unless he can put himself in a vulnerable category.

If the bidding list is anything like my council's, they usually have a results page which shows what priority the winning bidders usually have. Looking at this will normally allow a user to determine if they have any chance of getting housing with a low priority. However, given his circumstances, the OP may not be assessed as having a need at all.

Guest101 wrote: »

The point being a rent cannot really be 'unfair'.


Rents are set by supply and demand. The fact that the OP doesn't want to pay that amount is irrelevant, as someone is willing to pay it.


Council rents are less than 50% because I pay the remainder, as does every tax payer.

Guest clear the point up for me nicely.

Unfair has nothing to do with demand. Supply and demand is though the epitome of fairness in economic terms.

I was merely pointing out that the OP's moralistic views on fairness are irrelevant and it isnt for the local council to offer anything based on the OP's opinions.

t0rt0ise

Actually since 2008 council housing has made a profit which at first went to government. What used to happen is that all rent money went into a pot and was then given back to the councils for house repairs and building etc, some councils getting more from the pot than others. So some areas were subsidising other areas. This has now ceased and all councils are self-funded. So what they take in in rents is what they can spend on housing.

Housing Associations are non-profit businesses. They used to be able to get grants from government for building and large repair programmes, but most of that has now ceased. Housing Associations borrow money from private sources. Some Housing Associations are de-registering and becoming ordinary business buying and selling housing and only renting at market rents.

It's an interesting subject and those who simply repeat the 'subsidised by my taxes' mantra should do some research to find out if they are right. They will be surprised.

Norman_Castle

Guest101 wrote: »

Apples and oranges.
Social housing is subsidised. the rent paid does not cover the cost of providing and maintaining the property.

The majority of housing associations make a profit.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/news/11038145/Housing-associations-bedazzled-by-lure-of-profits-report.html

"The study by the think-tank “Million Homes, Million Lives” calculates that housing association profits have grown tenfold in the last five years to stand at £1.93 billion."

http://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2012/jan/27/government-subsidised-social-housing-rent