Film, Media & TV3 mins ago
Neighbours from hell
10 Answers
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-104070 9/Apartheid-UK-How-controversial-law-integrate -social-housing-new-developments-creating-mini -ghettos.html
They have tried this experiment before, that is mixing social housing among private housing, or even good tenants with bad tenants, and it just doesn't work.
There are instances where housing associations have purchased a number of vacant private houses, and moved undesirable tenants into them, to live next to people who have paid many thousands of pounds for their houses. This practice can reduce the value of the private houses greatly.
Why is it that just because a person cannot afford to buy, and is forced to rent, they generally become the neighbours from hell? And why do those who live off benefits also fit in this category?
Surely when a person applies to the local council or to an housing association, they should be vetted and allotted to areas best suited to them. This way those who show anti-social behavour could all live together, and let all those who show consideration to each other (be them owner occupiers or tenants) could then live a normal peaceful life.
They have tried this experiment before, that is mixing social housing among private housing, or even good tenants with bad tenants, and it just doesn't work.
There are instances where housing associations have purchased a number of vacant private houses, and moved undesirable tenants into them, to live next to people who have paid many thousands of pounds for their houses. This practice can reduce the value of the private houses greatly.
Why is it that just because a person cannot afford to buy, and is forced to rent, they generally become the neighbours from hell? And why do those who live off benefits also fit in this category?
Surely when a person applies to the local council or to an housing association, they should be vetted and allotted to areas best suited to them. This way those who show anti-social behavour could all live together, and let all those who show consideration to each other (be them owner occupiers or tenants) could then live a normal peaceful life.
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An interesting and well balanced article.
Shame about the very snobby question.
"Why is it that just because a person cannot afford to buy, and is forced to rent, they generally become the neighbours from hell?"
-The simple answer to that is, they don't. Generally, they are perfect tenants.
You make several assumptions as to why people live in social housing. We all make choices about what we spend our money on, and some people choose not to spend it on property. They can afford to buy but they choose to buy flash cars etc instead. They are not forced to rent, it is a decision to do so.
The other assumption you make is that people in private property are the height of respectability, and all social housing tenants are riff-raff.
Having lived in both social housing and in my own property , my experience is that there are as many scumbags and bad neighbours on private estates, than there are on council ones.
Where I currently live there is a mix of private and social housing. All the problems of drunken youths, WKD bottles strewn into gardens, drunken BBQs until 2am, vandalism and dangerous driving is all perpetrated by the private property owners.
I can agree with your last paragraph, and I believe that is what most good housing associations already practice.
Unfortunately, there is no sanction to safeguard against rubbish families buying houses in good communities, if they have the money. And I can assure you, that does happen.
Shame about the very snobby question.
"Why is it that just because a person cannot afford to buy, and is forced to rent, they generally become the neighbours from hell?"
-The simple answer to that is, they don't. Generally, they are perfect tenants.
You make several assumptions as to why people live in social housing. We all make choices about what we spend our money on, and some people choose not to spend it on property. They can afford to buy but they choose to buy flash cars etc instead. They are not forced to rent, it is a decision to do so.
The other assumption you make is that people in private property are the height of respectability, and all social housing tenants are riff-raff.
Having lived in both social housing and in my own property , my experience is that there are as many scumbags and bad neighbours on private estates, than there are on council ones.
Where I currently live there is a mix of private and social housing. All the problems of drunken youths, WKD bottles strewn into gardens, drunken BBQs until 2am, vandalism and dangerous driving is all perpetrated by the private property owners.
I can agree with your last paragraph, and I believe that is what most good housing associations already practice.
Unfortunately, there is no sanction to safeguard against rubbish families buying houses in good communities, if they have the money. And I can assure you, that does happen.
Shame about the very snobby question.
"Why is it that just because a person cannot afford to buy, and is forced to rent, they generally become the neighbours from hell?"
The simple answer to that is, they don't. Generally, they are perfect tenants.
I must take you to task over this one gromit, I don't think I was being snobbish. You will notice that I put the word Generally (not all) when I referred to neighbours from hell, and you hit back by saying "Generally, they are perfect tenants".
I know you won't agree but I think that the good tenants are in the minority and the majority create a living hell for the minority, ask this minority, if they are unfortunate to live in a high rise block of flats, or on some council estates.
If one were privileged to have access to police records, I think you would find that the majority of criminals, live in rented accommodation.
You made a false allegation that I assumed all social housing tenants are riff-raff. This is completely untrue, nowhere did I make this assumption. This is rich coming from you who is constantly accusing the Daily Mail of sensationalism, and then you make statements like this.
If you must use these terms, 'Riff Raff' and what was it? are yes, 'ScumbBags' I think you will find there are more of these in social housing, than in private houses.
Regarding your own observations, I find it hard to believe that "ALL" the youth problems in your area are committed by the private property owners, but the I think Booldawg's post covers this most adequately.
"Why is it that just because a person cannot afford to buy, and is forced to rent, they generally become the neighbours from hell?"
The simple answer to that is, they don't. Generally, they are perfect tenants.
I must take you to task over this one gromit, I don't think I was being snobbish. You will notice that I put the word Generally (not all) when I referred to neighbours from hell, and you hit back by saying "Generally, they are perfect tenants".
I know you won't agree but I think that the good tenants are in the minority and the majority create a living hell for the minority, ask this minority, if they are unfortunate to live in a high rise block of flats, or on some council estates.
If one were privileged to have access to police records, I think you would find that the majority of criminals, live in rented accommodation.
You made a false allegation that I assumed all social housing tenants are riff-raff. This is completely untrue, nowhere did I make this assumption. This is rich coming from you who is constantly accusing the Daily Mail of sensationalism, and then you make statements like this.
If you must use these terms, 'Riff Raff' and what was it? are yes, 'ScumbBags' I think you will find there are more of these in social housing, than in private houses.
Regarding your own observations, I find it hard to believe that "ALL" the youth problems in your area are committed by the private property owners, but the I think Booldawg's post covers this most adequately.
Is the cliche term "neighbours from hell", and the term riff-raff not describing the same behaviour? Maybe there is a subtle difference, which has escaped me.
I am afraid I find your subsequent post ladened with as many snobby assumptions as your initial question. Too many in fact for me to have the heart to try and correct a lost cause.
I am afraid I find your subsequent post ladened with as many snobby assumptions as your initial question. Too many in fact for me to have the heart to try and correct a lost cause.
Booldawg
Where I live, there have been the problems I described in my post. However, the Social Housing is Old Peoples' flats run by an Housing Association. They are in fact mostly the victims and all the youths on the estate (a minority of whom are thought responsible) live in the private houses.
You wrongly attribute every incident of littering to the list of bad neighbourlyness which I was confident was all the fault of private home dwellers. I did not say that, and unfortunately, I believe older people are often guilty of littering.
Where I live, there have been the problems I described in my post. However, the Social Housing is Old Peoples' flats run by an Housing Association. They are in fact mostly the victims and all the youths on the estate (a minority of whom are thought responsible) live in the private houses.
You wrongly attribute every incident of littering to the list of bad neighbourlyness which I was confident was all the fault of private home dwellers. I did not say that, and unfortunately, I believe older people are often guilty of littering.
I have to agree with Gromit. Very snobby question. I live in a shared ownership property paying half to a housing association and I am not riff-raff or a neighbour from hell. Come to think about it - my other 17 neighbours are neither riff-raff also. I am single, 30 year old professional - just so happens that when I bought the property 3 years ago I couldn't afford to buy completely on my own.
You do find people living on private estates that could be compared to neighbours from hell also. I don't think you should judge everyone who lives within housing associations and on benefits in the same bracket.
You do find people living on private estates that could be compared to neighbours from hell also. I don't think you should judge everyone who lives within housing associations and on benefits in the same bracket.
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