Council house entitlement!!!

MrsE_2

Look by my signature you can probably guess we are not totally on the breadline. I can afford a few extras.

But I do have great sympathy & empathy with people struggling to keep a home on minimum wage jobs. I look at our outgoings & I don't think they are excessive, but compared to some families they are excessive out goings. I would hate to be in that position.
I would hate not to be able to go abroad on nice holidays & not have a nice car & home. I would hate not to be able to indulge in the consumer goods I like.

BUT LOADS DO & I know that. I really do feel for people working hard & feeling like they are not enjoying any treats with the fruits of their labour.

BTW, my husband works long hours & very hard. We don't have a cushy ride, I work full time too, not part time.

But we do enjoy the fruits of our (hard) labour.

I think all working families have a right to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

If they didn't have council housing, families on minimum wages would still be renting by the room, like the old days.

Edited to say, like my mum did when she came to the UK, with a cooker in the hall or landing for all the familes to share.

katiejones

neas wrote: »

When a council house needs work doing... it gets it done by the council... Like reroffing, extensions, double glazing, kitchen refurbs.
Our council would laugh in our face if we asked for an extension, kitchen refurbs are only done when a property is vacated, roofing and double glazing is only done to bring the property upto what the goverenment classes as acceptable.
Then after 10 years they offer to sell the council house to the occupant... for below market value.
Not here in Northamptonshire - been in mine 12 years never had an offer.

How is this a fair system? Wouldn't it best to have them perpetually renting (0 profit style) then give them a house?.

All the work that was done before they bought it was paid by the council BY the people. You cant honestly believe the reduced rent council tenants may pay would cover building refurbs like roofing? An entire street of council houses gets done at the same time. Its madness. Then the investment gets transfered to a council tenant for a much reduced price to buy the property. Selling it at a loss.

Tell me again how it isn't a subsidied system? How are new houses purchased? Oh... yea with council payers money.

sorry for having to say something

slipthru

neas wrote: »

When a council house needs work doing... it gets it done by the council... Like reroffing, extensions, double glazing, kitchen refurbs.

Then after 10 years they offer to sell the council house to the occupant... for below market value.

I do believe you need to take that up with maggie thatcher. It was her great idea to sell of the council stock.

Council housing should never have been sold off and they should be building more.

in_debt_again_but_dealing_with_it

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

The same we use to have to do - save up. Take a second job. Increase your income and decrease your outgoings.

This seems a very sweeping statement Miss Moneypenny. Saving up the minimum for a 10% deposit on a £90,000 house (if there are any left below £100k) is £9,000, a person able to save £100 a month would take 90 months or roughly 7.5 years, in the meantime the price of there bottom of the ladder home has increased and so the donkey keeps chasing the carrot on the stick! In fairness many people, particularly on here, are doing all they can to get financially stable, saving even £100 a month is a pipe dream. Increasing working hours not always an option and decreasing your outgoings !

I've resisted saying this but I really resent private renting, there seem to be many people in this country now getting rich and lining their pockets with the hard worked money of other less fortunate individuals. Those able to buy more than one house are partly responsible for the housing market soaring therefore forcing more people out of the market and into private renting as less social housing available and guaranting these "entrepreneurs" an increasing market for their accomodation and inevitably soaring rents too!!! The housing market and rental prices does not truly represent what the house costs to build nor maintain these people are looking at their profit. A house that cost £75,000 to build (with considerable profit) 8 years ago for land, materials etc - does not suddenly cost £250,000 now!

Have resisted this rant but I do feel that resenting or berating the social housing tenants is unfair - those on here upset about being unable to buy homes should look to where the blame really lies!

neas

Just out of question though. Why are people entitled to council houses? Where does this entitlement start or come from? Im sure there must be a law stating you can get a council house or something?

neverdespairgirl

[quote=SmellyOldSock;9446235

The other point I'd like to make is why are we turning into a nation of 'not sharing'. When I was a child to get to my brothers bedroom he had to walk thru mine, it was never a problem, we shared! Is this a new concept I wonder?!?!? [/quote]

I shared a room with my younger sister (2 years younger) until I was about 15, and my other younger sister and brother shared until they were about 10 and 9. My parents thought it was good for us, to teach us to get on, negotiate, share, etc.

emily_jackson

emsywoo123 wrote: »

MrsE wrote: »

Please can you explain the "those at the bottom and those at the top"[/quote

Just to be clear, it was Mrs E who posted that not me (on #205)

Phirefly

the popcorn's well and truly run out - unlike this thread

MrsE_2

emily_jackson wrote: »

Just to be clear, it was Mrs E who posted that not me (on #205)

I have edited the quotes correctly now.

Did I say something you feel the need to distance yourself from

emily_jackson

MrsE wrote: »

I have edited the quotes correctly now.

Did I say something you feel the need to distance yourself from

No, see #217