Read this lady's story:
"I live in a council house and have done so all my life because I could never understand why I should take on a debt for 25 years.
I was given a council 2 bed house when i got married on a new estate.
When we had two kids we applied for and got a 3 bed house, later on we also had a four bed house. I pay the rent and all the improvements are done by the council. I am now a pensioner, I live in a 3 bed house with central heating, double glazing and I have what is called tenant security which means that I cannot be evicted as long as I don't do anything silly like tearing down load bearing walls and pay my rent. Because I am a pensioner most of my rent is paid by the council and I live very comfortably on my pension. If I had bought a house 25 years ago what would I have gained, my kids all have their own (council) house"
2007-02-06 06:16:57 · 6 answers · asked by rage997_666 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Renting & Real Estate
This lady is a pensioner, so she is at least 60. She got the first council house when she got married, so that would be at least 30 years ago, possibly longer.
That is before the introduction of the 'right to buy' which saw tenants able to buy their council homes.
In those days, there was a much greater supply of council housing available and it was aimed at ordinary families who had always rented to give them a positive alternative to renting in the private sector which was notorious for high rents and poor conditions.
There were also new towns and new estates built to replace inner city slums and post-war bomb damage, and the government wanted to encourage people to go and live there.
Relatively few people owned their own homes, unlike today. Renting was normal, it was just a question of who you rented from.
The culture and economics of social housing in Britain were changed for ever by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher when they took power in 1979. They changed social renting from the normal choice for ordinary working families to a 'safety net' for only the most poor and vulnerable people.
Council housing is allocated on the basis of housing need - your income or savings are only part of the assessment but if you can afford to rent or buy in the private sector - even if you have to move to a cheaper area to do so - you are unlikely to qualify for social housing.
This lady may have been lucky to be from the generation who could rely on council housing being available for them. But now the economics have shifted, her grandchildren may regret that there is no property asset in the family to give them a start on the housing ladder.
2007-02-06 19:03:02 · answer #1 · answered by Bridget F 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know of two people Number one struggled and bought his council house did not have holidays etc and now gets very little financial help from the state, number 2 he had holidays a car went down the pub weekends, now he gets his rent council tax paid etc, and as you can guess he is no worse off than the chap who brought his house, So can you blaim her when the system works like that?
2007-02-06 14:41:19 · answer #2 · answered by Chris 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
so you live in this big 3 bedroom house on your own, that we tax payers pay for. why don't you downgrade with the council to something smaller and let a homeless family that need the space move in
2007-02-07 18:57:02 · answer #3 · answered by the black james bond 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You're right - you have done well out of this in the sense that you have been able to change your house according to your needs at no extra cost to yourself. Had you bought the house, you would of course have some equity, but as it is you have peace of mind and security.
2007-02-06 14:23:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
if people livin in council houses arn't disqualified if they have too much money then they should be.
2007-02-06 14:29:00 · answer #5 · answered by pietersen_fan 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Which im probably payin for!
2007-02-06 14:21:03 · answer #6 · answered by Lily Allen 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋