Rents rise, cars burn.

[Ms Macbeth]

unfortunately your one person crusade is not going to result in the building of 90000 properties to satisfy the needs of everyone on the re-housing register. There has never, and will never be enough social housing for everyone. Why should the state provide homes for everyone anyway?

 

There may be 90000+ on the housing register, but only a small percentage actually want council housing. Its been explained before that a large majority of people 'put their names down' as an insurance in case they ever want or need a council or housing association property. Lots of owner occupiers and current council tenants are included in those numbers, who neither need or want rehousing.

 

If SCC published the number of people who currently bid for properties, it would give a much clearer picture of who really needs a home.

[Ms Macbeth]

I have a secure tenancy in the social sector. I have no need to enter the private sector.

 

However I can appreciate that I am lucky (although only recently could one be classified as lucky for gaining a council tenancy).

 

I'm alright Jack, but I still bang on about the state of housing, because many others are not alright. I'm not going to stop making my point until people have viable housing options.

 

The current lack of housing, particularly for the youth is a disgrace.

 

You must be joking! As a young family in the 1970s we had no chance of getting a council house. We lived in Donny, in a crumbling terrace with an outside loo, and the only family there who got rehoused by the council was a feckless mum with 4 young children. She and her sometime partner got evicted because they didn't pay the rent. The long term residents of the street felt it was very unfair. I didn't understand housing rules in those days, but it brought home to me that we'd have to just get on with things.

 

We were told by the council that we had no chance, because we'd recently moved there, and had no long term connection/family in the area. So believe me, things have changed in some ways for the better.

 

For the very young who want to move out of their family homes there are hostels. I think we need more of those, with childcare for the young mums and training for all, so they could find work then become independent. I've met so many young people who wanted their own flat, but didn't realise that they'd have to pay for heating, lighting, water, buy furniture and other household stuff. Much better to either stay at home for a bit longer, or get a room in a shared house, with a share of the bills. Students do it, young professionals do it, so why not?

[chem1st]

There may be 90000+ on the housing register, but only a small percentage actually want council housing. Its been explained before that a large majority of people 'put their names down' as an insurance in case they ever want or need a council or housing association property. Lots of owner occupiers and current council tenants are included in those numbers, who neither need or want rehousing.

 

If SCC published the number of people who currently bid for properties, it would give a much clearer picture of who really needs a home.

 

The 'active waiting list' is about 20000. That small percentage is well over 20%. The active waiting list is about 6 times the lettings turnover, it is over 50% of the total stock.

 

Such a 'small percentage' makes the unemployment figures look very low!