I was watching the Wright Stuff this morning, yeah I know for my sins which was about people's right to council housing and a life-time tenancy. The argument was firstly it's too cheap and secondly that they shouldn't have the security of a home when there are those who have mortgages or pay private landlords. I most definately have an opinion about this but what do you think?
Council housing is essential, unless you want to exacerbate the homelessness problem. Yes, they are cheaper than privately rented accomodation, but you get what you pay for, the vast majority of council housing is of a lower standard and studies have shown that those in council houses have much more limited life chances. The state, as far back as the Beverige report and the establishment of the welfare state, has taken on responsibilities for the basic subsistence level needs of its population, including the right to housing. House prices may be high at the moment, and it may not be a buyer's market, but that should have no bearing on the poorest sections of society, particularly single mothers with young children, who need housing. I can see no logical benefit to having them on the streets and thus no logical benefit to remove the council's responsibility to provide affordable housing....
rent controlled housing is an invaluable resource. and with all resources, it will be exploited on occaision. but i'd rather take it up my tax ass a little than see more children on the streets just because their mother may not be the soul of propriety. when i worked for property managers, we would get calls from HUD to place homeless mothers. they would receive their vouchers for a specific dollar amount, and if the property managers wanted that cash, they had to keep rent within that limit. but it wasn't SO BAD, after all, HUD would pay a fair rent for the region. i'm not sure how it works with council housing, but i've lived in enough government housing to state that it's not exactly luxurious.
A lot of my family rely on it, many people at my school live in houses provided by the council, and it's an invaluable resource for the poor of the country. With the way the housing market is going these days, council housing is going to become more and more important in cities.
Council housing provides homes for the majority of the country! To get rid of it would be heinous. The government would be slaughtered, although it would never happen.
I cannot believe the change in attitudes towards how we all live. First we had the issue of the poll tax which proved a move to bold for the then government who had also introduced the right to buy your council house, which has again been massively destructive for people to live comfortably and securely. Added to this social injustice we have had a stop on most council housing developments. The point that council housing is cheaper to that of private landlords is that its priced fair, allowing people the ability to pay their bills without too much heartache and stress where agreements and plans to pay off arrears are possible, intsead of being summond for eviction or repossession. It beats me that there are those in the world who are hell bent on making it harder and harder for people to function comfortably. You 're told to work harder; we are already working longer and harder than most of our european neighbours and what for, to be told its not good enough. I don't believe that council housing is inferior to the private builds, and in truth as a build there has been more quality material invested in them than most. Especially when you think that a lot of the estates were created post war in the fifties, ignoring the high rise developments from the 60's - early 70's which have become sad looking and run down. This is different when you begin to talk about neighbourhoods. There are some tough council estates. One of the arguments to abolish people's right to council housing was for those people who are working with two kids and also working, bringing in four incomes should be forced out of their council house, forced!!!! This argument was because people buying with a mortgage are losing their own disposable income to the banks and through interest rate hikes. I do have sympathy but as we know people also pay rent which rises yearly too. I myself live in a housing association flat, and it is cheaper than to rent privately. It has to be or I would be homeless too. The council where I live decided to create an independent trust for housing which has allowed them to function without being fully answerable to the local authority, this has allowed them to build all sorts of things but the one project they have not decided to start is that of affordable social housing; council housing the one and only reason why they were originally created, paradoxical irony. This being a labour stronghold, its hard to see the socialist ideology in this party. I can only hope for a change in the way we look to one another and begin to have a less selfish attitude. Failing this we better become prepared for more gun crimes and greater violence as we know people can only be pushed so far. We are the fifth most wealthiest country in the world while in european league tables from work, health to education we are nearly always positioned bottom.
Many council tenants are poor, living below standard class and is nothing short of a twin of Charles Dickens days. The right to buy should remain inforce as the housing market is far too expensive and has now become available to the rich and famous. Being able to buy a council house or flat for a lot lot less, makes sense. We don't want more people being on the street or indeed wasting money by renting. The rent goes to the landlords holidays so he is doing very well from himself.
Many council tenants are poor, living below standard class and is nothing short of a twin of Charles Dickens days. The right to buy should remain inforce as the housing market is far too expensive and has now become available to the rich and famous. Being able to buy a council house or flat for a lot lot less, makes sense. We don't want more people being on the street or indeed wasting money by renting. The rent goes to the landlords holidays so he is doing very well from himself.
Many council tenants are poor, living below standard class and is nothing short of a twin of Charles Dickens days. The right to buy should remain inforce as the housing market is far too expensive and has now become available to the rich and famous. Being able to buy a council house or flat for a lot lot less, makes sense. We don't want more people being on the street or indeed wasting money by renting. The rent goes to the landlords holidays so he is doing very well from himself.
Many council tenants are poor, living below standard class and is nothing short of a twin of Charles Dickens days. The right to buy should remain inforce as the housing market is far too expensive and has now become available to the rich and famous. Being able to buy a council house or flat for a lot lot less, makes sense. We don't want more people being on the street or indeed wasting money by renting. The rent goes to the landlords holidays so he is doing very well from himself.
The right to buy council houses is fair, but only if sufficient numbers of new council housing or housing association accomodation is built to accomodate needs....
Council housing is the pinnicle of the tragic society we live in. Slotted in somewhere in a concrete pigeon hole half a mile up in the sky in a somewhat lego set. In my road, the line is drawn. On my side it is tragic Charles Dickens reality and on the other is the swanky living people who live in terrace blocks with cappacino machines. Council housing needs to improve from the old grey concrete. I think council housing should stay.
