Social Housing

[nailit]

should there be social housing?
Easy enough question, should there be a roof over the head of the homeless?

[Mamyalynne]

Ideally everyone should have a roof over their heads, but with the best will in the world people get into arrears (for many and varied reasons) some get evicted and the cycle begins again.

There is no magic solution.

[naomi24]

We have social housing.

[Baldric]

We have 7 Rentals between us, if someone moves on they or one of our other Tenants usually knows someone who in a position to move in. We try to take only Ex-Service Folk as Tenants, they know how to look after a property. We are chased by the Council now and again but , sadly, never at a time we have an empty property ;o)

[agchristie]

Yes, as Naomi stated it already exists.

[Buenchico]

SOME people are homeless solely because they can't accept the social conventions which go with having a home. (i.e. not playing loud music at 3am, not having people seeking drugs calling at all hours of the day and night and remebering to pay their rent on time). Would you want them offered social housing next door to you?

[NB: I put the word 'some' in capitals for a reason. I'm most definitely NOT suggesting that such factors apply to ALL homeless people].

[kvalidir]

Yes of course we should have social housing and we do, but we should have more of it obviously because the housing lists are huge and we are building pitifully few houses for social housing to reflect that. Should people who don't pay their rent be housed anyway? Clearly not because that sets an unfortunate precedent, however I would like to see it a possibility that people who are vulnerable in some way, or simply know they are not very organised with money, have the option to have their rent and Council Tax taken at source (be it benefits- although that would involved a change in the LHA / benefits system, or via their pay packet). I do think that we need to do more to address street sleepers, it's not right in the 21st century that someone freezes to death because they can't afford the £8-00 for a hostel place or because they have mental health conditions which go under the radar because they are already homeless.

[mikey4444]

Yes, of course there should be social housing !

And yes, our homeless need some help.

[TWR]

As said by Kva, to stop arrears the rent should be paid out of their benefits & the property checked every 6 months including the state of the gardens, & some wonder why they have a bad name.

[ummmm]

HB used to be paid directly to the landlord. Why did that stop?

[TWR]

I would think, paperwork, cost Ummmm.

[Islay]

I believe they wanted to give the tenant the choice.
TWR I would feel that a complete invasion if I was checked every 6 months!

[ummmm]

When I rented we were checked every 6 months.

[Islay]

My landlady has popped in once in 6 years.

[TWR]

Islay, we have all seen the state of property's owned by Council's lets face it, we have them in this town, It would not bother me if I owned a Council home for it to be checked, after all when & if when these people get's kicked out who foots the bill to repair.

[ummmm]

I suppose some landlords just want to protect their property. He never looked round the whole house. Just popped in and judged it from the living room and kitchen.

[Baldric]

//if I owned a Council home//

How would that happen then?

[kvalidir]

We tend not to check our lets as my Dad thinks it's invasive as well, plus with some of them we collect the rent in cash anyway. Only ever had one real horror so not too bad going.

[Old_Geezer]

It's better than antisocial housing.

There should be council owned housing and it should be illegal to sell it off to tenants as there will always be a need for it in the community. It's what we have paid for via taxes.

[Islay]

Kval I think its about trust as well. Also as I work fulltime it means a landlord having to turn up during my off hours or me take time off, so I would lose money!!
TWR you cannot own a council house!!