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deleted
66 Posts |
 Posted - 30/05/2007 : 17:27:51
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Social Housing Shows 40,000 Deficit Because of Record Asylum Numbers
The unprecedented number of asylum-seekers granted permission to stay in the UK in recent years has exceeded the number of new social houses built in the period by nearly 40,000, says a new report out today.
In a short summary of the position - following the comments from Dagenham MP and Government Minister, Margaret Hodge at the weekend - the paper, from think-tank Migrationwatch points out that new social housing has been lower even than the number of principal applicants granted asylum or other permission to stay in the UK over that period.
"It once again highlights the Government’s almost total lack of planning for the effects of the record asylum, and immigration levels, over the past 10 years which has had a major impact on the availability of social housing for the native population," said Migrationwatch chairman, Sir Andrew Green.
"This is not to imply that those in genuine fear of persecution should not be given refuge; it is to suggest that the government should have taken account of the very large numbers involved in making provision for new social housing,’ he said. ‘The evidence is clearly that they have failed."
Another reason for the high cost of housing.
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6047 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2007 : 17:51:37
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Link?
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"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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n/a
deleted
66 Posts |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2007 : 18:06:09
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Yes it is a big problem
New Labour have caused.
10 years in power
Boom and Bust under Brown/Blair
FACT. |
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n/a
deleted
66 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2007 : 18:17:22
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| It makes no difference who caused it, it is still a problem. |
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Daveb
Earthsea
2371 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2007 : 18:21:13
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| This would be a problem even without immigration. |
We're all doomed!
Head for the hills before they start heading for you! |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6047 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2007 : 18:25:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Daveb
This would be a problem even without immigration.
Of course it would. There is just not enough new development especially in the lower cost family sized housing. But it is always so much easier to blame a ready made scapegoat.
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"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Daveb
Earthsea
2371 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2007 : 18:34:01
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The ready made scapegoat is the Tories in this case I believe.
The selling of council stock was a bad decision.
Labour have done nothing to stop it. |
We're all doomed!
Head for the hills before they start heading for you! |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6047 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2007 : 18:45:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Daveb
The ready made scapegoat is the Tories in this case I believe.
The selling of council stock was a bad decision.
Labour have done nothing to stop it.
If we are talking about social housing in specific then yes, good ol' Maggie with her 'right to buy' certainly must bear full responsibility for the larger and better residential units being drained from the social housing stock. That the Blairites have done nothing to stop the drain is to their eternal damnation (among so many other charges it would probably get lost in the crush)
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"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2007 : 18:53:08
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quote:
Originally posted by jodan
It makes no difference who caused it, it is still a problem.
It Bleedin' does
Blair should be in Prison.
FACT. |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2007 : 18:54:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Daveb
This would be a problem even without immigration.
Bang On Right.
Blair is the cause. |
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thedelboy
Discworld
United Kingdom
1436 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 12:35:58
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| how easy to blame asylum seakers and immigrants!I have been waiting for a council property for years and am a high medical priority,but get nowhere with brighton council(even though I cant even get down my stairs on bad days)do you not think it is bad management by local and central government that has caused the problem?rather than blame anyone else. anyone with a competant brain cell has seen the housing shortage escalate since 1977,(FACT) |
keep on smiling |
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n/a
deleted
240 Posts |
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nightbird
Calaspia
603 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 13:03:17
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quote:
Originally posted by thedelboy
how easy to blame asylum seakers and immigrants!I have been waiting for a council property for years and am a high medical priority,but get nowhere with brighton council(even though I cant even get down my stairs on bad days)do you not think it is bad management by local and central government that has caused the problem?rather than blame anyone else. anyone with a competant brain cell has seen the housing shortage escalate since 1977,(FACT)
A big farce if you ask me, today I received a letter from a housing trust about a flat I bid for, the one line in it had me gob smacked was" To high support needs for the non-sheltered part of the scheme" so turned down, please carry on bidding.
So I must stay in a property thats to big for me and my needs that has no central heating and has become a danger to my health.....
Hope your listening Gordon Brown and Brighton council who don't give a hoot about the old, sick and vulrunble....
Asylum seeker are not the cause, bad management is..... |
Edited by - nightbird on 08/06/2007 13:09:56 |
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FUBAR
Barsoom
431 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 18:31:28
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It's not asylum seekers or Maggie who caused the housing shortage it is just that council house building is at an all time low. Central government won't give funding to build any and private companies build to sell not to rent... |
I came into the world with nothing and still have most of it left.. |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6047 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 18:51:57
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Maggie started the sell-ff of the housing stock FUBAR and that has a lot to do with how council housing has arrived at this all time low. The better properties were sold off, the monies raised were ring-fenced to sit in accounts, it reduced the rent revenue, coupled with a corresponding reduction in central grants/funds reduced the available amount for maintenance and upgrading, result that existing stock is increasingly more and more dilapidated etcetera and so on and so forth and fifth and sixth ...
Not one single factor but a load of cumulative policy decisions. |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Vince Meegan
Alagaësía
United Kingdom
14 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 20:46:28
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One of the contributory factors to the housing shortage is the 'buy to rent' obsession. The less expensive houses are snatched up by 'investors' who already have a home of their own and are eager to make a fast buck. They force out the less well off and push up prices to boot.
What is particularly galling is that many of these houses are then let to the local authority at rents no ordinary working person could afford to pay.
The sell off of council properties was started by the Conservative decades ago and the best creamed off. The remainder are either high maintenance or occupied by those unable or unwilling (God bless 'em) to buy.
The Labour government has followed the Tories in trying to get the public sector out of housing. The demand that all local authority housing meet some arbitrary standard by 2010 meant that there was a shortfall in planned expenditure and income that could not be met from the council tax payer. The figures presented to councillors stated that the cost of the improvements was in excess of the market value of the properties. This ludicrous appraisal (that the entire Brighton and Hove housing stock was worth less than nothing) was only challenged by a handful of councillors. The 'minimum housing standard' was a transparent ruse to justify the transfer to anyone or anything other than councils. Significantly these minimum standards did not apply to the private sector.
It will take a courageous government to do what has to be done.
First we must stop the curse of landlordism. Stamp duty should be tripled or quadrupled for non occupiers. Young people starting out cannot compete in the market with the middle aged who bought their homes twenty years ago and are casting around for a return on the money mum and dad left.
Double council tax has to be levied on empty properties or 'second homes'. It is a crime to have thousands of empty homes whilst families are housed in hostels and bed and breakfast accommodation.
Finally government has to recognise that it has a duty to its citizens. Everyone should be entitled to a reasonable standard of housing, education and health care. It cannot abdicate this to the vagaries of the 'market' in the belief that it will sort itself.
If we continue to follow the 'American model' the ghastly apparition of the trailer park looms.
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thedelboy
Discworld
United Kingdom
1436 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 13:01:48
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well at last someone has a good Idea,Vince I would take my hat off to you (if I wore one) |
keep on smiling |
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Ian
Alagaësía
70 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 13:31:02
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I also agree with Vince, especially about stamp duty. Also, profits on property sales should be heavily taxed, with the proceeds going towards council houses and enforcement of action against those landlords that rip off their tenants. (How about compulsory purchase of slum landlords' properties?)
Residential property should be for residents, not for people who want to make money out it. |
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nightbird
Calaspia
603 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 13:57:39
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Vat on house sales, thats on the difference between puchase price and selling price just like used cars? essentialy a tax on the profit.
First time buyers can claim the Vat back.....
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FUBAR
Barsoom
431 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 20:17:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Miriam Binder
Maggie started the sell-ff of the housing stock FUBAR and that has a lot to do with how council housing has arrived at this all time low. The better properties were sold off, the monies raised were ring-fenced to sit in accounts, it reduced the rent revenue, coupled with a corresponding reduction in central grants/funds reduced the available amount for maintenance and upgrading, result that existing stock is increasingly more and more dilapidated etcetera and so on and so forth and fifth and sixth ...
Not one single factor but a load of cumulative policy decisions.
While Maggie may have started the sell off it was the people living in them that bought them. Even if they had not been sold there would still be people living in them so they still would not be available for housing stock. It is the lack of new builds that has reduced the housing numbers for council houses. The number of houses in council use has gone down not the number of houses........ |
I came into the world with nothing and still have most of it left.. |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6047 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 20:28:13
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| You would have thought so wouldn't you? Except that a house once sold is gone from the housing stock forever and a house tenanted it still part of the overall stock. And I do believe that I quite clearly stated that though that was but a factor there are numerous policy decisions that have had an overall impact. It is not just the 'right to buy' alone and I cannot remember having ever claimed that it was. |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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nightbird
Calaspia
603 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 21:12:25
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The right to buy at dicount prices was wrong, who wouldn't buy at such low prices.
Maggie used social housing as a political tool to gain votes,and for nothing else.
If these rules are moral and just why not apply them to the private sector housing? |
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FUBAR
Barsoom
431 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2007 : 18:31:03
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| they do by with council tax and the other myriad ways to get a pound out of your pocket..... |
I came into the world with nothing and still have most of it left.. |
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thedelboy
Discworld
United Kingdom
1436 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2007 : 07:56:40
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| the right to buy was a good scheme,shame that local councils did not re-invest the money they made into building new properties!!if they had of done we would probably have an excess of empty properties,as building a house from scratch is cheaper than buying a property already built(FACT) |
keep on smiling |
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Vince Meegan
Alagaësía
United Kingdom
14 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2007 : 08:31:10
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If the local authorities had been able to build new houses with the revenue from the sell off of the old ones, it would have made no practical difference.
The houses were sold for a fraction of their true value. For the purposes of accelerating the sales, I suspect even that 'top line' value was heavily discounted. Had these homes been sold at their real market price, even then this would not necessarily have covered the cost of acquiring land and building more homes. And what stops those tenants of the new homes exercising their 'right to buy'? Ad infinitum.
One of the issues that really troubled me was the proposal that housing associations should take over the council's housing stock. If that were to happen would tenants still take the 'right to buy' with them, and if so, would that same 'right' be extended to an association's existing tenants? The answer I got was 'yes'.
It follows that over a period the social housing stock would inexorably diminish as better off tenants bought the (heavily discounted) properties.
Any why wouldn't they? Anyone can sell a fiver for two pounds, and only a fool would pass up the chance to buy a home at a similar rate.
Though the sell off of council houses has created a void at the bottom end of the housing supply, I remain of the view that the 'Buy to Let' phenomenon is responsible for the drought of starter homes for first time buyers. Interesting item in Saturday's Guardian on that topic :
http://money.guardian.co.uk/property/buyingtolet/story/0,,2098623,00.html
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Martha Gunn
Barsoom
231 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2007 : 09:16:16
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| In Bevendean, the Coombe Road area and increasingly Hollingdean, masses of family homes are now inhabited by students renting from landlords who have filled their boots through buy-to-let. Many of these houses are ex-council and now have many more adults crow-barred into them than was designed. |
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The Duke of Uranus
Barsoom
294 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2007 : 10:00:17
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| Reading this thread makes me realise my wife and myself did the right thing moving out of Brighton. We now live in an area where 50% of new build housing has to be reserved for locals with prices capped at 100k for a 3 bedroom house and less for smaller properties. Our council also has a nice policy of charging higher council tax for holiday home owners in the area of which there are quite a few. |
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thedelboy
Discworld
United Kingdom
1436 Posts |
Posted - 14/06/2007 : 10:13:45
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| last weeks home move magazine had the grand total of 16 properties,most of which were for over 50sand 60s(shelterd)I am getting pissed off with it as I have more amore trouble trying to get up my stairs!!and my fuck up nieghbours in the upstairs flat flooded my place monday night which in turn flooded the chap downstairs from me(my microwave is no longer working |
keep on smiling |
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nightbird
Calaspia
603 Posts |
Posted - 14/06/2007 : 11:42:57
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quote:
Originally posted by thedelboy
last weeks home move magazine had the grand total of 16 properties,most of which were for over 50sand 60s(shelterd)I am getting pissed off with it as I have more amore trouble trying to get up my stairs!!and my fuck up nieghbours in the upstairs flat flooded my place monday night which in turn flooded the chap downstairs from me(my microwave is no longer working
Homemove is just crisis management at its worse, they put you in this hamster wheel and keep you going and going while they hope somebody in government will build new social housing at some point.
Its not going to happen is it for a long time.
thedelboy, why don't you ask for a stair lift ask for a assessment ? |
Edited by - nightbird on 14/06/2007 11:45:40 |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6047 Posts |
Posted - 14/06/2007 : 11:44:25
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| Assessments are being done on a first come first served basis. It is my understanding that they are currently dealing with requests for assessment made back in August September of last year. |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Topic |
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Housing shortages