First Time Buyer Discrimination?

[BEN.KING]

I have been looking at a new housing development where they were building a limited number of houses, specifically for first time buyers. When I enquired about these they said, they are only for first time buyers and first choice would be given to public sector workers. I ticked these boxes so I thought I was in with a chance. Then they asked where I currently lived, which is about 10 miles from the development. They then said because I didn't currently live in the area, I wouldn't be able to apply?! The area where the development is, is only a small village in the town I live ( Preston ), so I would have thought that to fill these houses, with first time buyers with mortgages in place, working in the public sector, and all living in a small village, would be a big ask?! I then said that I worked in the area, and had family there. I then contacted the council housing officer, and he said because I currently live in a different district, and won't have paid council tax in their district, I wouldn't be eligable. Is this not discriminatory? What first time buyer has ever paid council tax anyway? These houses are in my price range and easily the nicest I have seen. Most new houses are just far too expensive, even with help to buy. They want first time buyers to get on the ladder, yet stop them over the silliest of stipulations.

[jackthehat]

Setting rules that exclude people is not always discriminatory.
Those renting will have paid Council Tax.

It may seem unfair but that's just how it is...

[Mamyalynne]

Ask if they have a standby list in case they don't sell all the properties given their seemingly narrow parameters.

[woofgang]

If the council know that they have a housing problem in the area and maybe schools, hospitals and so on are having recruitment problems because there isn't suitable housing for people who would take the local jobs if they lived there, then surely it makes sense to address these problems through planning? I think that Mamya's suggestion is a good one though.

[Hypognosis]

This is 'customer vetting', plain and simple. What other area of business does that, other than by the standard mechanism of pricing things out of each?

Or, if you are Audi, retrieving all your old models, so that they do not filter down to the 'lower orders'?

I am sorry that I do not have an answer, BEN.KING but it was interesting and got me onto my soapbox.

On a Friday night, too.

[Mosaic]

If the developers got grants via the council, these will be related to very specific terms & conditions. One of these might be that you live AND work within the district. In your case, the problem you face might be that the district boundaries, set in ancient times by rivers and brooks, have little bearing on modern life. Many folk will live in Wyre or Fylde but work in Preston or Blackpool. I agree that it is most frustrating. If you have a granny in Fleetwood I suggest you be nice to her so she might let you use her address.

[BEN.KING]

Don't think I'm going to get anywhere with it am I. There are no new developments near me, none that first time buyers could afford anyway. I'll try your suggestion mamyalynne, thanks for that. Thanks people.

[Hypognosis]

(typo, in my post from last Friday. Should read "pricing things out of reach?")


I think the brutal truth is that, these days, the -profit margin- (*) on a small home is just not attractive to developers. Because of the low wage economy and because of the way banks have had to reign back on salary multipliers, as well as being more rigorous about checking an applicant's income stability, as well as level, the more profitable house layouts which the developers are chomping at the bit to build are outside the range of affordability for those first-time buyers.

Oh, they still shift units, of course - to buy-to-let landlords, way higher on the income scale and busily working on their little property empires.

Now here we get to one of the border fences between Socialism and Capitalism.

Socialists build things because they need to be built. Sort of now-ish. Houses now, schools now, hospitals now and, with a Birmingham-sized city having moved in, lately, sewage treatment works now. *** profitability, just get the job done.

Cr*pitalism, famously, will not even get out of bed for less than £10k (for the day).

Taking this logic to extremes, for humour purposes, the people who work hard all day and tell everybody around them just how hard they work all day and pay their taxes and moan about it being handed to benefit claimants are getting the job done and thus are socialists. The claimants are the capitalists, just waiting on the right price for their services.




(*) feel free to argue the toss over this bit. It is a received opinion which I am merely parroting.

[Cloverjo]

I'm sorry I can't answer your question, but there was a similar thing in the tiny village next to mine. Two small buildings of flats were built and advertised as "only for LOCAL people" (their capitals). It reminded me of The League of Gentlemen and the local shop for local people. I don't know how local you'd have to be to be allowed to buy one of the flats.