This was in the Sheffield Telegraph. Its nice that the council has all these houses available. It must mean all the locals in need of a roof over their heads have been housed and the waiting list is no more.

If what!
I wonder how they will pay the rent, i wonder if the local homeless with have homes - somehow i think not

So much for the priorty people who have been on the waiting list for nothing. It sums up the council to a big fat T!!

This gets right up my back does this, me and my fiance would love to be able to afford our own house, with me working full time and him working full time in the army, we STILL would not be able to afford a mortgage!!

These refugees seem to come over here and get everything handed to them on a plate and tbh im sick to death of it, i might go out of the country, come back in as a refugee and then we will get a house and probaly everything else i ever want!!!!!!! :rant:

This gets right up my back does this, me and my fiance would love to be able to afford our own house, with me working full time and him working full time in the army, we STILL would not be able to afford a mortgage!!

These refugees seem to come over here and get everything handed to them on a plate and tbh im sick to death of it, i might go out of the country, come back in as a refugee and then we will get a house and probaly everything else i ever want!!!!!!! :rant:

Im in exactly the same boat as you MissGobby. Its not fair, where are our god damn so called rights!!!????

xxx

Hi - I'm guessing you saw the article in the (hard copy) paper? Don't suppose there's a clue in the newspaper as to whether there's an online link, is there?

I've searched the Sheffield Star website, and can't find anything that refers to your story.

It'd be interesting to read what the reasons are behind the decision! I'm sure the council won't have accepted the refugees lightly, so maybe there's a legal/humanitarian justification for their action.

you are so right! me and my husband have been on the list for 2 years. we live in a 2bed upper maisonette with 2 kids both in prams. we have to drag them up and down the stairs when we go out, and when my other half gos to work i have to stay.

yes yes, i'm sure they were all given plasma tv's and brand new cars as well.

Can we have a link to the story so that we can see the details of what was really done?

This really p**ses me off! My cousin who has a 10month old baby has had no luck trying to find a council house.She works p/t and her fiance full time rather than sponging but cant afford a mortgage and this is the thanks they get. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Wouldn't be so bad if these people were put on the bottom of the waiting list, but somehow I reckon that won't be the case.

There's no wonder that you see so many potential illegal immigrants camping out in Northern France waiting for the opportunity to smuggle themselves into Britain. Having escaped their troubles back home why didn't they settle and/or claim asylum in one of the dozen or so European Union countries they travelled through to actually get to the mouth of the Chunnel?

That was rhetorical, we all know why. And it's not just because they don't want to live with the French!

A few years ago someone from The Cross won a shed load of dosh and moved out of their house. They had done a lot of work to the place over the years and the rooms and garden looked brilliant, and of course, as soon as they left, the house was advertised in the council offices on Wordsworth Ave.
The place was empty for about a week, when some people from London nipped into the offices and enquired about accomodation on Parsons Cross. The woman in charge at that time immediately put on her coat and escorted them to the empty house.
Two weeks later they moved in...
I`m sure that some of you who are reading this will remember that incident, I think it was around `99 or 2000.
Sheffielders have always been dumped on by both the government and their council.

[QUOTE=MissGobby]This gets right up my back does this, me and my fiance would love to be able to afford our own house, with me working full time and him working full time in the army, we STILL would not be able to afford a mortgage!!


Surely you get massively subsidised army housing though......???

the way things are going nowdays we will be saying is it because we are white. we dont get anything now and its because we can speek english and we work.

Im in exactly the same boat as you MissGobby. Its not fair, where are our god damn so called rights!!!????
xxx

we have no rights now, all the rights are for the poor mis treated immigrants, good luck to them i say, if everybody took some sort of action istead of just whinging on about these people perhaps the powers that be might take notice.
i thought blonk strret had been taken over by the immigrunts on sunday, i did a car boot selling to english for £1 selling to immigrunt £2, some even paid up. lol

As Billy Connolly once said, the only group of people you can have a go at without being accused of some kind of harrassment or non PC-ness are white 18-60 year old men.

Wouldn't be so bad if these people were put on the bottom of the waiting list, but somehow I reckon that won't be the case.


Without knowing anything about this case (in the absence of a link), I would ask you where exactly these poor people would live while they were waiting to rise up the waiting list?

I really feel for everyone on this thread who has been waiting for a council house to become vacant, but at least you all have a roof over your head and access to the internet. I very much doubt that the refugees coming to Sheffield have either.

Some of them, however, will have been accustomed to such luxuries in their former homes. I stumbled over this article http://www.sheffieldtoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=60&ArticleID=1520957 whilst searching for the one this thread is relating to, and it says,

more than one in four of the refugees granted permission to stay in Britain have a degree or higher qualification .......refugees with experience as vets, accountants, civil and mechanical engineers, in IT support and aviation management.......people from a professional background with at least university level and, quite often, post graduate qualifications, with anything up to 20 years experience and a reasonable level of English ............
A lot of the refugees we work with are extremely motivated. They were professionals in their own country and worked hard.

These people are very unlikely to be 'economic migrants' - they are 'refugees' because they are fleeing. People (they are people, just like us) DON'T uproot their families and leave jobs and homes on a whim. They're not lowlife or riffraff, just PEOPLE who will very much appreciate the chance to work and provide for their families once again.

We're lucky to not be in their shoes imo.

You DO all realise that once certain people see this, we`re all going to be branded as racist, fascist pigs?

I bet thet get a bigger bloody wheelie bin than me aswell !!!!:rant:

I bet thet get a bigger bloody wheelie bin than me aswell !!!!:rant:

Is that because they'll need one to put all the packaging from the consumer goods that they'll be buying from all the benefit money? And, as Cyclone pointed out, from the plasma screen tvs? They come in REALLY big boxes! ;)

No chance of a link to the story, btw? Without it, we're all just jumping onto our usual soapboxes!

Where's the story?

Anyway where are they supposed to live?

Are any of the people on this thread homeless?

Oh just read ShSheff's post

my father inlaw is homeless hes been told that he isnt priority bacause he hasnt been in prison or a drugie or an refugee. he just has to bid although the has 3 young kids.

Wouldn't be so bad if these people were put on the bottom of the waiting list, but somehow I reckon that won't be the case.

There's no wonder that you see so many potential illegal immigrants camping out in Northern France waiting for the opportunity to smuggle themselves into Britain. Having escaped their troubles back home why didn't they settle and/or claim asylum in one of the dozen or so European Union countries they travelled through to actually get to the mouth of the Chunnel?

That was rhetorical, we all know why. And it's not just because they don't want to live with the French!

Quite true and well said regarding the French and their tratment of immigrants. If they were more welcoming in their approach to A/Seekers they could reduce the flow to the UK but do you not think that they know this and react the way they do?.
They could completely cut off ANY Access to the C/Tunnel IF they wanted to at anytime by fencing the whole thing off with barbed wire, increased surveilance and guards.....but do they?.....No!!!!!
This is why the UK people feel the way they do and are totally fed up with the whole thing.
Why dosen't the EU do more to make France seal of unauthorised access to the tunnel?, and if they don't....CUT their Agricultural budget.

See how fast they would move then!

It's understandable how things like this (which I read about in the Telegraph) can get up people's backs. It also makes folk resentful toward immigrants, people who work hard and pay their taxes only to be conveniently pushed back down the pecking order so that Tony and his cronies can play the race/immigration card then stand back and await the backlash readily prepared with cries of 'Tory!', 'Racist!', 'Little Englander' and 'Xenophobe!'.

Hardly brilliant race relations and multiculturalism is it?

But it doesn't have to be does it? Nope, New Labour and its All Dancing, All Singing Band can quietly slip away to their own mansions at the end of the evening and unlike the vast majority of the British* public forget about things like 'equal rights' and 'equality'.

* (I apologise for any offense caused by the word British)

No Fay, only if we are married, he is supposed to be coming out of the army next November and so we would rather buy our own house than me moving down there just for one year, but by the sounds of it, we will be living with our folks for the rest of our lives, it is stupid!!! i mean for crying out loud, even people with small babies/children find it so hard these days to have a council house, but these refugees swan into our country and get everything on a plate!!!!!!!! :rant:

Oh come on folks....the Council has a legal obligation to house folk so it HAS to house these people. And there is no shortage of property in sheffield so no 'native' people will go without. Altho I accept that we should look after our own first.

I understand peoples' frustrations - I really do, but whle we are signed up the the Asylum Seekers / Refugee international treatys we HAVE to take a share. And we might as well treat them well. There's no advantage to us in taking them and treating them badly.

In my opinion we should:

1) withdraw from the treaty;
2) set a max figure for intake and take no more;
3) allow them to work and positively encourage it;
4) deport IMMEDIATELY those who are not genuine.....set criteria for whose eligible and stick to it.

We will deport some genuine folk by mistake but it's worth the cost I believe.

Refugees or Asylum Seekers?

Sheffield Council does not have an obligation to house Asylum Seekers but has willingly signed a contract with NASS who pay for Sheffield to provide this accommodation while they wait for their cases to be resolved.

I take it that if your house burnt down you would be insisting, nay, *demanding*, that nobody give you somewhere to stay.

Oh come on folks....the Council has a legal obligation to house folk so it HAS to house these people. And there is no shortage of property in sheffield so no 'native' people will go without. Altho I accept that we should look after our own first.

I understand peoples' frustrations - I really do, but whle we are signed up the the Asylum Seekers / Refugee international treatys we HAVE to take a share. And we might as well treat them well. There's no advantage to us in taking them and treating them badly.

In my opinion we should:

1) withdraw from the treaty;
2) set a max figure for intake and take no more;
3) allow them to work and positively encourage it;
4) deport IMMEDIATELY those who are not genuine.....set criteria for whose eligible and stick to it.

We will deport some genuine folk by mistake but it's worth the cost I believe.

If there is no shortage of property then how come so many people are not getting housed???

xxx

I bet thet get a bigger bloody wheelie bin than me aswell !!!!:rant:

I take it you (as us) have one of the 3' tall bins?:mad:

As Billy Connolly once said, the only group of people you can have a go at without being accused of some kind of harrassment or non PC-ness are white 18-60 year old men.

Very true Al, very true. You are also at liberty to call them derogatory names, such as 'chavs', 'white trash' or 'hideously white, middle-aged, middle class men'.

I am surprised Billy Connolly spotted this though - he's never said anything remotely perceptive before. Who knows, in the future he might excel himself and say something that is actually funny.

Albal - I don't think there are any people not being housed. They might have a problem being RE-housed. There's a difference between the two. When my wife and I seperated four yrs ago i was housed immediately - in a not very nice area but it was immediate and I had loads of properties to choose from.

There is NOT a shortage of housing in the city.

I must add that I find it hard to believe that some couples find it hard to get a mortgage when both of them are working full time.

Very true Al, very true. You are also at liberty to call them derogatory names, such as 'chavs', 'white trash' or 'hideously white, middle-aged, middle class men'. .

I might be mis-informed but I had always assumed that Chavs could be black or white, male or female. I had assumed that someone was a Chav if they wore certain clothes and behavied in certain ways and this was more about class (as much as there still is such a thing), dress, speech etc, and not about colour or gender. When I look down my nose at people with their houses covered in Ingerrrlaaand flags I don't feel as if this is anything to do with their race. Am I right, or is a Chav always white and therefore I am a closet racist?

I must add that I find it hard to believe that some couples find it hard to get a mortgage when both of them are working full time.

It is extremely hard to afford a mortgage even when both of you are working full-time, we have other commitments that we need to pay for aswell at the so paying £500 a month on a mortgage is just not suitable at the moment.

xxx

Chav accessory in a council house.

here (http://www.glasgowsurvival.co.uk/belters/ChavLav1.jpg) :hihi:

we have no rights now, all the rights are for the poor mis treated immigrants, good luck to them i say, if everybody took some sort of action istead of just whinging on about these people perhaps the powers that be might take notice.
i thought blonk strret had been taken over by the immigrunts on sunday, i did a car boot selling to english for £1 selling to immigrunt £2, some even paid up. lol

That's not very nice. Ripping people off and laughing about it.

Albal - I don't think there are any people not being housed. They might have a problem being RE-housed. There's a difference between the two. When my wife and I seperated four yrs ago i was housed immediately - in a not very nice area but it was immediate and I had loads of properties to choose from.

There is NOT a shortage of housing in the city.

At the moment i live with my parents, we had a big argument so i decided that i needed to leave and get my own space or its just going to get worse, i classed myself homeless with the council and they recommended private renting and told me im not a priority case, and to carry on bidding. I have been on the waiting list a year and a half now and i have been bidded every wednesday morning for god knows how long and i have'nt heard a dicky bird from the council.

xxx

You DO all realise that once certain people see this, we`re all going to be branded as racist, fascist pigs?

Sorry, can't find the post you are referring to.

This was in the Sheffield Telegraph. Its nice that the council has all these houses available. It must mean all the locals in need of a roof over their heads have been housed and the waiting list is no more.

Great, more 1980's football shirt wearing over chargers.

It is extremely hard to afford a mortgage even when both of you are working full-time, we have other commitments that we need to pay for aswell at the so paying £500 a month on a mortgage is just not suitable at the moment.

xxx


I was trying to put my point accross without making sweeping judgements because I dont know anyones personal circumstances and obviously these differ from person to person. Its just I work but my partner doesnt I have a child to support and I dont earn a great deal probably about the average yearly wage for sheffield I also have other financial commitments (bank loans etc) and yet I can afford a mortgage albiet only just, you do find that some people dont think they can afford a mortgage when in actual fact they can and didnt realise it.

I would also like to add that some mortgages dont even cost that much more the council property rent (again depending on circumstances) and really council property rent is wasted money unless you plan to eventually use the right to buy scheme.

Albal my partner fel pregnant whilst we where both living at my parents house we went to the council first because I didnt think I could afford a mortgate (I was spending my monthly wage on crap :) ) I went to the council and they also said we where not priority and we should private rent but not being a fan of chucking money away I bit the bullet and went and got advice on a mortgage, now I live in my own home in a wanderfull village surrounded by countryside and my mortgage payments are only £150 a month more than what my friend pays in rent on his council house.

I was trying to put my point accross without making sweeping judgements because I dont know anyones personal circumstances and obviously these differ from person to person. Its just I work but my partner doesnt I have a child to support and I dont earn a great deal probably about the average yearly wage for sheffield I also have other financial commitments (bank loans etc) and yet I can afford a mortgage albiet only just, you do find that some people dont think they can afford a mortgage when in actual fact they can and didnt realise it.

Yeah i know what you mean, each person has different circumstances. Good for you for having your own place, i know its hard work too, i cant wait to get a mortgage and to call a place my own.

xxx

Yeah i know what you mean, each person has different circumstances. Good for you for having your own place, i know its hard work too, i cant wait to get a mortgage and to call a place my own.

xxx


If you can get a council house you will eventually get the chance to buy it for a massive discount through right to buy anyway so that could be an option to get you on the property ladder.

I would also like to add that some mortgages dont even cost that much more the council property rent (again depending on circumstances) and really council property rent is wasted money unless you plan to eventually use the right to buy scheme.

Albal my partner fel pregnant whilst we where both living at my parents house we went to the council first because I didnt think I could afford a mortgate (I was spending my monthly wage on crap :) ) I went to the council and they also said we where not priority and we should private rent but not being a fan of chucking money away I bit the bullet and went and got advice on a mortgage, now I live in my own home in a wanderfull village surrounded by countryside and my mortgage payments are only £150 a month more than what my friend pays in rent on his council house.

Really!! Wow, thats great!

I know its a waste of money renting, but i think its going to have to be an option for us as were looking to be out of my parents by the end of August. We went to see a finincial advisor and he said that because my parnter is self-employed and has been for only 7 months, then it would be hard for us to get a mortgage as they like you to be self-employed for at least 1 year. So he said to try and rent for a couple of months as it also looks good when you do apply for a mortgage becos it shows that you pay your rent and what not.

If you dont mind me asking who do you have your mortgage with?

xxx

Really!! Wow, thats great!

I know its a waste of money renting, but i think its going to have to be an option for us as were looking to be out of my parents by the end of August. We went to see a finincial advisor and he said that because my parnter is self-employed and has been for only 7 months, then it would be hard for us to get a mortgage as they like you to be self-employed for at least 1 year. So he said to try and rent for a couple of months as it also looks good when you do apply for a mortgage becos it shows that you pay your rent and what not.

If you dont mind me asking who do you have your mortgage with?

xxx


I have sent you a PM :thumbsup:

I might be mis-informed but I had always assumed that Chavs could be black or white, male or female. I had assumed that someone was a Chav if they wore certain clothes and behavied in certain ways and this was more about class (as much as there still is such a thing), dress, speech etc, and not about colour or gender. When I look down my nose at people with their houses covered in Ingerrrlaaand flags I don't feel as if this is anything to do with their race. Am I right, or is a Chav always white and therefore I am a closet racist?

Well, not always, but almost always in popular usage. Like most neologisms, the word 'chav' has meanings which are fuzzy around the edges. Wikipedea for example states that it is a label 'typically, though not exclusively, applied to teenagers and young adults of white working-class or lower-middle class origin'. I will wager that this is the most common understanding of its meaning, although whole internet threads (including on SF) have been devoted to the subject of 'what is a chav'.

An excellent recent book which provides valuable insights into the mistreatment of the white working class in the post-war era is Michael Collins' 'The Likes Of Us: A Biography of The White Working Class'.

Amazing how people who've fallen out with their parents somehow believe that they need a house more than someone who left their country because it was likely that they'd be murdered by the current group in power.

And the idea that refugees 'swan' into the place, no doubt after a cruise around the med for a days darling they then get chaufeured here in a limo, is that what you believe?

Amazing how people who've fallen out with their parents somehow believe that they need a house more than someone who left their country because it was likely that they'd be murdered by the current group in power.

And the idea that refugees 'swan' into the place, no doubt after a cruise around the med for a days darling they then get chaufeured here in a limo, is that what you believe?

I never said that i need a house more that someone who left their country. Its just plain and simply wrong that we have to take a back seat all the time.

xxx

true, true, It must be absolutely dreadful not to have seen rape, murder and torture, and have needed to flee your home country, leaving family and friends behind, not knowing what has happened to them.

I will speed a letter off to the prime minister immediately, and insist that he instigate a civil war, "stat" (!), and then I can flee the UK, and throw myself on the mercy of the Somali or Nigerian, or Liberian government, and ...

hmmm
*reality check*
oh, hang on, it's the other way round, isn't it? it's them that need the refuge of a safe country like ours, cos of the civil wars etc in their countries.
doh! silly me!

<sensible mode back on>
the housing is probably not council housing per se, it's more likely to be part of the empty property initiative that's been bandied about, I.E. properties that private individuals own, and are in disuse, bringing them back into use.

PT

I never said that i need a house more that someone who left their country. Its just plain and simply wrong that we have to take a back seat all the time.

xxx

IF we allow these refugees (definition: an exile who flees for safety) the opportunity to work (which means not discriminating against them when they apply for jobs, as well as it being legal for them to work), I suspect we'd find that the first thing they'd do after securing financial security again is to attempt to get out of their emergency council housing (have you seen it? Bleugh) and start a new life in private, bought, accommodation.

Like I said before, I doubt (but still no LINK so I'm still firing in the dark) that these people are unemployable lowlife. If given the chance, they'll want to fit back into society and NOT be dependent on charity.

How about the rent-to-buy schemes that the Housing Associations run? Have people on the thread who think that they can't afford a mortgage looked at these? They are specifically designed for people on low incomes, so they can get a foot on the housing ladder.

I had no trouble getting a council flat, but then I was prepared to take anywhere, I was desperate (realy desperate, not "ooh, my mum won't let me watch Big Brother so I want to move out" desperate), there are loads of empty council properties, but people don't want them, because they arn't in the "best parts" of Sheffield.

true, true, It must be absolutely dreadful not to have seen rape, murder and torture, and have needed to flee your home country, leaving family and friends behind, not knowing what has happened to them.

I will speed a letter off to the prime minister immediately, and insist that he instigate a civil war, "stat" (!), and then I can flee the UK, and throw myself on the mercy of the Somali or Nigerian, or Liberian government, and ...

hmmm
*reality check*
oh, hang on, it's the other way round, isn't it? it's them that need the refuge of a safe country like ours, cos of the civil wars etc in their countries.
doh! silly me!

<sensible mode back on>
the housing is probably not council housing per se, it's more likely to be part of the empty property initiative that's been bandied about, I.E. properties that private individuals own, and are in disuse, bringing them back into use.

PT

I am a bit confused about this thread. The original poster says there are 83 council houses being given to refugees. Then we have countless people throwing their hands up in horror on the basis that this must be true. Now we have PT saying they are probably "not council housing per se".

It would be nice to know if there is any truth in this whatsoever, if the houses even exist, if they are council houses or not, or if the whole thing has been made up and people are then being horrified by a non-story.

typicial sheffield council who does not care about people who are waiting on houses and flats

if the boot was on the other foot and we needed homes in these countrys would we get them this goverment and council is far too soft

what a joke!!!!

if you read the star on may 17th you would have read my story!!!!
got a disabled child,medical notes,proof she needs her own room seperate to her brother etc and the council did nothing
they made me pick areas that THEY chose and when i refused they took me off priority!!!!

all they offerred me was an upper maisonette which was totally unaccepable as my daughter is chronic lung and how was extra stairs going to benefit her health!!!!!

the council do have homes available but they chose to put who THEY want in them and not make the system fair
waiting time and priority mean jack... as i have found out
6 years and still got a disabled child and no they havnt moved us!!!!!!!

the council do have homes available but they chose to put who THEY want in them and not make the system fair


Well if you can prove this you will no doubt have a case against the council. As for what they offered, did you stipulate that the type of house was more important or the location, if you said location then they will offer you anything in that area, even if it's not suitable, as thats what you stipulated.

I am a bit confused about this thread. The original poster says there are 83 council houses being given to refugees. Then we have countless people throwing their hands up in horror on the basis that this must be true. Now we have PT saying they are probably "not council housing per se".

It would be nice to know if there is any truth in this whatsoever, if the houses even exist, if they are council houses or not, or if the whole thing has been made up and people are then being horrified by a non-story.

Whoa there! I didnt say 83 council houses. I said 83 people. There may only be three or four families...
I would like to make it clear that I dont have a problem with this situation. I just thought it may be an interesting discussion starter.

These refugees seem to come over here and get everything handed to them on a plate and tbh im sick to death of it

I must say I think exactly the same. Do you know that some "imigrants" (Sorry if that isn't the right word) can get a free bus pass just beacuse they don't speak english???:o

I must say I think exactly the same. Do you know that some "imigrants" (Sorry if that isn't the right word) can get a free bus pass just beacuse they don't speak english???:o

Can you post a link to the proof of this please as, to my knowledge, that is complete twaddle.

Can you post a link to the proof of this please as, to my knowledge, that is complete twaddle.


yep, I'd like to see a link to that, as well, cos it rates about a 10.3 on my twaddle-o-meter, too!

PT

Dont they also get a free colour tv license and their windows cleaned free of charge, matching furnishings and a £1500 grant for a vehicle.
Its hard to believe whats true with regards to what foreigners get anymore but I think some of the do gooders who who think its "the right thing" to give people from other countries queue jumping priority and even "more" not equal rights should let their spare rooms out to these immigrants.

Just looking through telegraph for the story. So far I 've found this article..

"Sheffield is the most welcoming city in the UK according to a new survey..."

Hmmmmm :suspect:

I've found it. Page 14. Here's a separate link to the same story:

Burmese Refugees (http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1084&ArticleID=1573575)

to nick2
the council chose my areas and wouldnt let me choose
also with medical and doctors notes they should have taken that into consideration before offerring a upperground which they did
i had councillors involved,got a petition from everyone in my area and supplied everything possible...they did nothing
they gave me only a few weeks to bid but how can i bid on areas they have picked yet no properties?
chronic lung means breathing problems so why offer a upperground to a disabled child?its like they cannot read

They'll probably be housed in the scuzziest areas where few want to go and live anyway. The council does have property available, but its in bad areas and people do not want to take it. The other problem is that flats are not popular, understandably. I once went on the list many years ago but was getting nowhere; I knocked back a flat in Park Hill many a time because I wanted a house with a garden.

But I can understand how this might look to someone desperate for decent housing. The problem is we do not have enough information about the circumstances.

with all evidence and recommended properties that i chose through my councillor i was told i was too picky,i may want walkley and crookes but also went for wisewwood,hillsborough and other areas,i was limited as they only gave me a few weeks and was only allowed certain parts of sheffield,where was the choice based letting as the title states?
the star has followed our story for 6 years and know our daughter is unwell.wasnt the area that bothered me as much but to offer an upper ground to a disabled person is taking the biscuit!

Dont they also get a free colour tv license and their windows cleaned free of charge, matching furnishings and a £1500 grant for a vehicle.
Its hard to believe whats true with regards to what foreigners get anymore but I think some of the do gooders who who think its "the right thing" to give people from other countries queue jumping priority and even "more" not equal rights should let their spare rooms out to these immigrants.

yes, and a free time share in barbados and 2 weeks use of a lear jet every year.
And tescos have to give them free food and all taxis are paid for by the queen.

I've found it. Page 14. Here's a separate link to the same story:

Burmese Refugees (http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1084&ArticleID=1573575)

probably the same story, although this one says 51 not 81.

Doesn't say where they have been housed, but as mentioned by several people I doubt it's in prime locations.
So in conclusion, we have lots of people moaning about refugees taking their houses, when in fact the refugees are probably living in exactly the places that other people refuse to take.

"The situation in Burma has been horrendous for a long time and I'm glad that we are able to offer refuge to this small group of people.
"It's appalling to think that in the 21st century there are still places where people can be arrested, imprisoned or tortured because they choose to write for a newspaper or teach history in a school. I'm proud of Sheffield's history of welcoming people who are in real need.
"Two years ago, we welcomed the first group of arrivals from west Africa and last year our first Burmese people arrived.
"They have been welcomed by Sheffield people and have settled well into our community, and I hope this year's group will be made to feelequally welcome."

is that for people too weak to click on the link themselves? :P

I'm very community minded.

Dont they also get a free colour tv license and their windows cleaned free of charge, matching furnishings and a £1500 grant for a vehicle. .

Yes, and a free gold plated skateboard and all the muffins they can eat.

Its hard to believe whats true with regards to what foreigners get anymore .

You're right there!

I would certainly like these people to be looked after and be treated well. But I would also like to know what the facts are as regards what they really get and what comes out of the public purse.

You DO all realise that once certain people see this, we`re all going to be branded as racist, fascist pigs?
No. There is too much feeling and groundswell on this subject from the vast majority. They wont brake cover on this one. The liberals like to pick and chose their fights, eroding our traditional citizenship rights in the name of 'human rights' over the long term.

Edit: Besides, they have already won.

Originally Posted by AJ sheffield
Dont they also get a free colour tv license and their windows cleaned free of charge, matching furnishings and a £1500 grant for a vehicle. .
I'm seriously thinking of learning Iranian and becoming a professional refugee.

They'll probably be housed in the scuzziest areas where few want to go and live anyway. The council does have property available, but its in bad areas and people do not want to take it. The other problem is that flats are not popular, understandably. I once went on the list many years ago but was getting nowhere; I knocked back a flat in Park Hill many a time because I wanted a house with a garden.
.

Very true and they have to be housed somewhere. Sheffield has been asked to take it's fair share and is doing it's bit. Housing them in poorer areas or the 'scuziest areas' as you state can bring it's own issues.

I have no issues in taking genuine refugees who are having to flee evil regimes but as long as they respect our laws, our way of living and the council dont create further ghettos

Just remember all of this next time you cast your votes for the council.it all begins with YOUR votes.
If you want priority you have to stop voting labour,simple.

priority to be housed in houses that local people keep refusing. That's a vote winner.

i wish people who post notes on here would get their facts right. I work for Sheffield Homes and for a start there is no longer a waiting list!!! plus there is not 83 houses available for these so called refugees.

It's so nice to see the amount of compassion shown on this forum towards people that are less fortunate than them selfs .The refugees that are/may be coming here are no-doubt extremely grateful for the opportunity to live
here and no-doubt will find work a lot sooner than our own .

Some of the claims made are totally unfounded ,yes they will be housed but i would rather have one as my neighbour than some of Sheffield's home grown deviant's.

Here is the Sheffield City Council press release on the subject reproduced in full.

19 June 2006
WELCOME TO BURMESE

Sheffield welcomes a new group of residents this month (Monday 19 June), as a small number of people arrive here from Burma.

Last year, a group of 51 refugees from Burma came to live in Sheffield as part of the joint UK Government and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Gateway Protection Programme, and around 75 more will join them during 2006.

Funded by the Home Office for the first year, the families will be supported by workers from the Refugee Council to find work and training in the city.

“The situation in Burma has been horrendous for a long time and I’m glad that we are able to offer refuge to this small group of people,” says Cllr Jan Wilson, Leader of Sheffield City Council. “It’s appalling to think that in the 21st century there are still places where people can be arrested, imprisoned or tortured because they choose to write for a newspaper or teach history in a school.

“I’m proud of Sheffield’s history of welcoming people who are in real need and the Gateway programme has been an excellent way for us to do this. Two years ago, we welcomed the first group of arrivals from West Africa and last year our first Burmese people arrived.

“They have been welcomed by Sheffield people and have settled well into our community, and I hope this year’s group will be made to feel equally welcome.”

In Burma, it’s illegal to take part in even peaceful expressions of political activity - and their interpretation of ‘political’ is not one many British people would recognise. It includes reporting an event or a speech in a newspaper which is not to the regime’s liking, or teaching in school on a period of history that reflects political opinions different to those held by the regime.

Because people have been in fear for their lives, and for those of their children, some have found their way to Thailand and have been recognised by the UNHCR as refugees. And now, a small group of them are coming to Sheffield to make new lives for themselves.

In order to be eligible to come to Sheffield, they have already been interviewed by the Home Office, had health screening and security checks, and agreed to contribute to the city’s economy as soon as they can. They are eligible to find work straight away.

The Gateway Programme is the result of the UK’s commitment to participate in the global resettlement scheme that is organised by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) which, in 2000, placed refugees in a number of countries including the USA, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Sheffield has already welcomed people through this programme. In 2004, 69 people arrived in the city from West Africa through the scheme, having fled persecution, rape and torture and been assessed by the UNHCR as suitable to come to the UK. All of that group have improved their English language skills and settled in to the community, ten adults have found work, four are volunteering and a number of women joined together to form the Zeela (peace) choir, which is enjoying great success. Children formed a large part of the group, and they have all settled in well at school.

In 2005, 51 Burmese refugees came to Sheffield via refugee camps in Thailand. They have spent the last year working hard on their English language skills and settling into school, local churches and the community.

The people who arrived in these groups were supported with the practicalities of settling in by the Refugee Council, as will this year’s arrivals. Refugee Council workers helped them to get used to using gas and electricity in their homes, and to find their way round on public transport, for example.

"Gateway has been a big success story, and a marvellous example of what happens when all agencies work together to help people fleeing persecution get resettled and integrated”, says Alistair Griggs, Refugee Council Director of Operations. “It has been a joy for our staff to work with the arrivals in Sheffield from Burma and West Africa, and everyone is very excited about this month’s new arrivals."

Home Office Minister Joan Ryan said:

“The Gateway Protection Programme reasserts our commitment to provide a safe haven to those genuinely in need, by enabling a number of refugees from some of the most troubled parts of the world to rebuild their lives in the UK.

“I am grateful to Sheffield City Council for their continued commitment to the programme which has so far seen 400 people brought out of danger and offered a new start in the UK.

“I hope that the positive experiences of Sheffield will encourage other local authorities to take part so that we can transform Gateway into a UK-wide scheme.”

People arriving in Sheffield under this programme will be housed in various parts of the city. Safe Haven will be providing the housing, and no Council housing will be used.

http://sccplugins.sheffield.gov.uk/press/news/aRelease.asp?akey=3628&Mon=01/06/2006

Here is the Sheffield City Council press release on the subject reproduced in full.

and no Council housing will be used.




.

I'm seriously thinking of learning Iranian and becoming a professional refugee.

I am sorry but you would fail the intelligence test because you think that Iranians speak Iranian.

and no Council housing will be used.




.

So endless pages of people complaing that "they come over here and steal our jobs, women and council houses", and it turns out that no council houses will be used. You couldn't make it up.

I will now throw another spanner in.....

......can anyone confirm that the housing that is to be used was not "Council Housing" that has now been reclassified for this purpose?

... and that they come from probably the worst regime on the entire planet.

In Yangon, the capital of one of the poorest and most oppressive countries on earth there are no beggars in because the Police round them all up and dump them outside the city. Nice!

i wish people who post notes on here would get their facts right. I work for Sheffield Homes and for a start there is no longer a waiting list!!! plus there is not 83 houses available for these so called refugees.

Are you able to confirm that local councils have to set aside10% of local housing stock for refugees and or aslum seekers?

8,000 housing units were found in Doncaster alone last year (these can be anything from 3 bed houses to bedsits) for 'refugees' from such places as TURKEY - I go on holiday there! And thats a fact.

... and that they come from probably the worst regime on the entire planet.

In Yangon, the capital of one of the poorest and most oppressive countries on earth there are no beggars in because the Police round them all up and dump them outside the city. Nice!


Thats exactly what Giuliani did in New York

That's a mighty big claim for a first post Candlelight, but as I guess you won't be suprised if we ask you for a link to a source to back it up?

(Welcome on board by the way :))

I've noticed that at least one poster on here has commented that the council has failed in its duty to rehouse her and her ill daughter, as it only offered property that was unsuitable to her. That's the point! Those of us who are lucky enough to live in the UK have 'standards' and expectations of a certain quality of housing from the council. Those fleeing as refugees are merely grateful for a roof over their heads.

That's not to criticise anyone - I absolutely understand why one should want appropriate housing for a sick child (and I don't mean anything personal by mentioning the situation, I really do feel for you) but the refugees ARE NOT taking housing that Sheffield people want.

Anyone who has ever had the misfortune to be 'homeless' with a child or children will be aware of what is offered - it is NOWHERE that one would WANT to live. These poor refugees are so desperate that they are grateful for the properties that we don't want.

There are always opportunities for voluntary workers to help the refugees assimilate into our communities. Maybe a spot of contact with the PEOPLE who are so grateful to us for giving them asylum would sober people up.

I've a friend who teaches English to refugees, and one of the first things they are taught (as volunteers) is not to ask the usual pleasantries, such as, are you married? Do you have children? because the answer is often too painful for the refugee to contemplate. Honestly, most of us have no idea what these fellow PEOPLE have been through, before they arrive in Sheffield.

Can you post a link to the proof of this please as, to my knowledge, that is complete twaddle.

Sorry no links available but a good pal who is a former bus driver told me this.

8,000 housing units were found in Doncaster alone last year (these can be anything from 3 bed houses to bedsits) for 'refugees' from such places as TURKEY - I go on holiday there! And thats a fact.

If it is a "fact" then you should be able to back it up with real information from the council or the government.


In Sheffield (a much larger city than Doncaster) here are the facts (taken from the councils own documents):-

Fact1. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work while their cases are assessed. They receive only 70% of income support levels.

Fact2. Asylum seekers do not receive free televisions and mobile telephones, this is a myth.

Fact3. Asylum seekers cannot jump the housing queue ahead of local people. Coucils receive extra funding from the government to make housing available for asylum seekers, often by repairing housing stock that is in poor condition.

Fact 4. The number of asylum seekers in Sheffield is around 1500 individuals inclusing dependant children.

Sorry no links available but a good pal who is a former bus driver told me this.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.:)

Sorry no links available but a good pal who is a former bus driver told me this.

That's good enough for me. I was expecting a link to the BBC or perhaps the Daily Telegraph, or a government department, but if a bus driver told you then that is about the same I suppose.

Please no bus driver bashing on this ocasion, he is one of the good ones and got out before his brain rotted!!!

... and that they come from probably the worst regime on the entire planet.



That is not necessary.

I am happy to take care of these poor oppressed families.

I am not happy that clear and complete information cannot be supplied as to how I am helping them.

There is too much spin and avoidance in this.

These Burmese fall into our UNHCR quota as special cases as opposed to the 'usual' asylum seeker that turns up on our border.

Is the council (or the relevant body) renting private housing?
Is the council (or the relevant body) renting Housing Association properties?
Is the council (or the relevant body) using housing that would have previously been part of the council housing stock?

Please no bus driver bashing on this ocasion, he is one of the good ones and got out before his brain rotted!!!

It's not his brain that we think has rotted.

Is the council (or the relevant body) renting private housing?
Is the council (or the relevant body) renting Housing Association properties?
Is the council (or the relevant body) using housing that would have previously been part of the council housing stock?

Absolutely agree we should be told. So.............does one of us contact the council? Or can someone find a link somewhere that sets it out? Or can someone with some authority to Know These Things come onto the thread?

It's not his brain that we think has rotted.

That's not fair, we don't know (yet) that his assertion cannot be proved!

Fact2. Asylum seekers do not receive free televisions and mobile telephones, this is a myth.


Be careful where you take your quotes from.

As part of the NASS programme, asylum seekers will not recieve these items.

There are, however, a number of refugee and asylum seeker support agencies and charities who may well provide some of these goods.

It would be nice to know if there is any truth in this whatsoever, if the houses even exist, if they are council houses or not, or if the whole thing has been made up and people are then being horrified by a non-story.

dont be silly

its one of the age old scare stories

come over here stealing our jobs and wimmin

Be careful where you take your quotes from.

As part of the NASS programme, asylum seekers will not recieve these items.

There are, however, a number of refugee and asylum seeker support agencies and charities who may well provide some of these goods.

Sometimes, we need to put ourselves in their shoes. Asylum seekers are separated from friends and family and anyone (quite often) who speaks the same language as they do. They are prevented from getting jobs, and exist on very small amounts of benefit - something along the lines of £30 a week? (I'm not expert).

Just imagine it was you. You're stuck in a foreign land, very grateful to be safe and alive, but driven sick with wondering what's happened to your children/spouse/close relatives/friends. Offering you a means of communication is not exactly giving you the world.

I'm not advocating a policy of giving out plasma tvs and unlimited-contract mobile phones, just trying to bring a little human perspective to it. At best, they probably end up with a small b&w tv (in a language that they can't understand) and I can't comment re the phones, because I don't know if that's true or not.

However, as I've said before, if anyone has a problem with the asylum seekers being unable to speak English, PLEASE VOLUNTEER to teach them!!!! How else will they learn? The voluntary services are in desperate need of more assistance.

ok then if u say the alysum seekers dont get a house i was in the howden house and a family came in and it seemsed to me that the council could not do enough and they demanded that they wanted to be put somewhere where as a friend of my wifes wanted to be housed in sheffield .basically was treat with utter comtempt there is too much of it in sheffield and in the uk and may be its my opinion but a lot of people are getting fed up of the postion .

If you can get a council house you will eventually get the chance to buy it for a massive discount through right to buy anyway so that could be an option to get you on the property ladder.

Ah thats it the way to do it then. So one less council property to be offered to sheffield people and less chance of current tenants to be rehoused.

Any one going to have a go at people who legitimally exercise their right to buy?

Oh I thought not just blame minorities fleeing torture instead!

To all those complaining because they can't get a house on the council list - are you applying for everywhere, or just the places where you wouldn't mind living? From my understanding, there are plenty of flats available across the city in the 'scummier' areas.

One of my friends told me the other day she refused a flat in hackenthorpe because she wanted to live in a nicer area. There is practically no chance of getting a house in a 'good' area, because the stock is growing smaller via right-to-buy...

... whereas refugees get what they are given.

My understanding is that if you are really homeless (ie, no roof over your head) and eligible, there is accommodation for you.

Beyond that, is personal expectation and 'standards' (ie, 'do they expect me to live in a place like THAT?').

It's all down to how truly desperate and grateful you are.

If it is a "fact" then you should be able to back it up with real information from the council or the government.


In Sheffield (a much larger city than Doncaster) here are the facts (taken from the councils own documents):-

Fact1. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work while their cases are assessed. They receive only 70% of income support levels.

Fact2. Asylum seekers do not receive free televisions and mobile telephones, this is a myth.

Fact3. Asylum seekers cannot jump the housing queue ahead of local people. Coucils receive extra funding from the government to make housing available for asylum seekers, often by repairing housing stock that is in poor condition.

Fact 4. The number of asylum seekers in Sheffield is around 1500 individuals inclusing dependant children.


errrm, i grew up in pitsmoor and in the late 80's and early 90's when the somali's came over, many of them were given cars by the council. one day they were all poor, the next they were driving BM's and dressing up with better clothes than everybody else! So I am damn sure they could be given a poxy bloody telly!

I also would add a pinch of salt to council stats, as we all know they are all currupt as ****. They follow Tony Blair's example, just look at his crime stats, LOL. If their stats are not tainted by corruption, I have met so many thicko council researchers in my time (due to my research degree and placements) that I would be very wary of the work they produce.

errrm, i grew up in pitsmoor and in the late 80's and early 90's when the somali's came over, many of them were given cars by the council. one day they were all poor, the next they were driving BM's and dressing up with better clothes than everybody else! So I am damn sure they could be given a poxy bloody telly!


You're saying that their 'BMW's' were given by the council? :confused:

You're saying that their 'BMW's' were given by the council? :confused:

I distinctly remember one particular person who I played football with, forget his name now, but he was a nice lad who had come over as most of his family had been killed. One day he was riding an old bike to training, then the next week he turned up in a fairly old but refurbished BMW. He didn't have a pot to **** in so I asked him where he got it from, and he said the council bought it him to get to his job....at least he worked and he was a very decent hard working fella so maybe he deserved this turn of luck?

furthermore, this obviously caused a bit of tension between the somalis and the caribbean boys!

I distinctly remember one particular person who I played football with, forget his name now, but he was a nice lad who had come over as most of his family had been killed. One day he was riding an old bike to training, then the next week he turned up in a fairly old but refurbished BMW. He didn't have a pot to **** in so I asked him where he got it from, and he said the council bought it him to get to his job....at least he worked and he was a very decent hard working fella so maybe he deserved this turn of luck?

Assuming that you meant it as it reads (and I think you do) then yes, he did.

He was a 'very decent hard working fella' and 'most of his family had been killed'. Speaking personally, I'd consider it a privilige to have been able in some small way to contribute anything that helped that chap.

Most of us on here can have no concept of what it must be like to be that boy, so if all we can do is contribute towards the cost of a bike, hurrah! I wouldn't mind betting that he took every advantage going to better himself, and to make a new life in the country that gave him a chance of a new life. Sure I might be wrong, but I'd like to think I wasn't.....

As Billy Connolly once said, the only group of people you can have a go at without being accused of some kind of harrassment or non PC-ness are white 18-60 year old men.

I believe Mr Connolly is curently residing in a more affluent part of Southern California

Hope these people quoted find their accomodation....welcome to Sheffield:thumbsup:

furthermore, this obviously caused a bit of tension between the somalis and the caribbean boys!

Sometimes, we all need a break.

:)

Assuming that you meant it as it reads (and I think you do) then yes, he did.

He was a 'very decent hard working fella' and 'most of his family had been killed'. Speaking personally, I'd consider it a privilige to have been able in some small way to contribute anything that helped that chap.

Most of us on here can have no concept of what it must be like to be that boy, so if all we can do is contribute towards the cost of a bike, hurrah! I wouldn't mind betting that he took every advantage going to better himself, and to make a new life in the country that gave him a chance of a new life. Sure I might be wrong, but I'd like to think I wasn't.....

too true, but then on the flipside you obviously get those who come over here and give the good ones a bad name. Then again, there are people who were born here that do that for the rest of us

too true, but then on the flipside you obviously get those who come over here and give the good ones a bad name. Then again, there are people who were born here that do that for the rest of us

That's people for ya! :)

“They have been welcomed by Sheffield people and have settled well into our community, and I hope this year’s group will be made to feel equally welcome.”

Not it would seem by the majority of posters on this forum.I wonder if there is a forum like this in Burma,somehow I don't think so.
It would appear that these people have gone through all the proper channels and vetting procedures,so are genuine and should be welcomed to Sheffield.

Without going into all the details of this case or other similar ones , this is , basically , what I think stirs up resentment amongst those already living here or those who have lived in Britain all their lives :--
You get people who have been on waiting lists for ages and are now living in poor / sub-standard / unsatisfactory / decrepit houses or flats . Then people who have just arrived in this country get what is regarded as suitable housing .
The indigenous population are bound to think , " Why couldn't we have had the good housing first and then they could put the new arrivals in the housing we once lived in ."
If these people are fleeing from death , torture or oppression , you would think their immediate reaction would be relief at living ANYWHERE as long as it was safe .They could perhaps be found better housing later . Millions of our service people returned from the last war alone to find that they had to live in sub-standard housing for a while . Surely it's not unusual in times of crisis ?
In other words what the indigenous population are seeing is a lack of priorities . If ," short cuts " and immediate housing can be found for new arrivals , why is it such a slow , painful process to give our long-term citizens decent housing quickly ?

At the moment i live with my parents, we had a big argument so i decided that i needed to leave and get my own space or its just going to get worse, i classed myself homeless with the council and they recommended private renting and told me im not a priority case, and to carry on bidding. I have been on the waiting list a year and a half now and i have been bidded every wednesday morning for god knows how long and i have'nt heard a dicky bird from the council.

xxx

I can actually verify this situation to a degree. I worked for Haringey Council for a while in North London, and knew a lot of staff in the homeless project team. Unfortunately, if the council deem your 'homelessness' as self inflicted (e.g. you choose to leave home, runaway), then you are NOT a priority case. In fact, in certain areas, you are unlikely to be housed at all. There are extenuating circumstances, for example if you are being abused at home, and in this case social services are required to undertake a report. The reason properties are left vacant and unused is to provide a cover in case a priority case applies, for example a mother and child.

Apparently, people with addiction problems, be it drugs or alcohol (technincally the same thing anyway) are also classed to a degree as people with "self inflicted" problems, and are therefore not an immedaite priority either.

Frankly I think this sucks, as did the staff I knew on the project. The fact is that the vast majority of drug addicts and street drinkers (though admittedly not all) have come from abusive and dysfunctional backgrounds, and as such, (IMHO), the state has a care of duty towards these people.

Yes, there are people in Sheffield who claim to be homeless who arent, but there are also teenagers bedding down for the night in sub zero conditions, and I cant beleive for one second that they wouldnt rather be someone warm with a roof over there head. That fact alone means our current system of allocation is a wee bit flawed.

The indigenous population are bound to think , " Why couldn't we have had the good housing first and then they could put the new arrivals in the housing we once lived in ."


Where does it say that the new arrivals are getting the good housing? I think the consensus is that they're more likely getting the stuff that no-one else wants.

perhaps a letter to the "letters "page,sheffield telegraph would bring your feelings to the attention of the council, not that they care,but at least it would give you a voice,perhaps you could mention with holding your vote to get what you want,as i recall one group in sheffield did not so long ago,it worked for them

I can actually verify this situation to a degree. I worked for Haringey Council for a while in North London, and knew a lot of staff in the homeless project team. Unfortunately, if the council deem your 'homelessness' as self inflicted (e.g. you choose to leave home, runaway), then you are NOT a priority case. In fact, in certain areas, you are unlikely to be housed at all. There are extenuating circumstances, for example if you are being abused at home, and in this case social services are required to undertake a report. The reason properties are left vacant and unused is to provide a cover in case a priority case applies, for example a mother and child.

Apparently, people with addiction problems, be it drugs or alcohol (technincally the same thing anyway) are also classed to a degree as people with "self inflicted" problems, and are therefore not an immedaite priority either.

Frankly I think this sucks, as did the staff I knew on the project. The fact is that the vast majority of drug addicts and street drinkers (though admittedly not all) have come from abusive and dysfunctional backgrounds, and as such, (IMHO), the state has a care of duty towards these people.

Yes, there are people in Sheffield who claim to be homeless who arent, but there are also teenagers bedding down for the night in sub zero conditions, and I cant beleive for one second that they wouldnt rather be someone warm with a roof over there head. That fact alone means our current system of allocation is a wee bit flawed.

Oh yeah, i get what your saying there and i know that i wouldn't be classed as priority, its the fact that i have been on the waiting list for a year and half and have bidded every week as far as i can remember in many areas of Sheffield thats irritating. Yeah people are always going to have different views about immigrants but we should still be entitled to a council place as much as everyone else.

xxx

Are you bidding for a specific area or type of property? Or are you happy to just take anything whatsoever that is available in any area?

I bid on flats, maisonettes, bedsits, studio as i dont need a house. I bid in the Jordanthorpe, Batemoor, Greenhill, Totley, Bradway, Norton areas.

xxx

Just a point of fact.

The city council is a landlord, just like the housing associations and many private landlords in the city. Nobody has a right to a council property. It was my understanding that priority is given to those who cannot for whatever reason secure housing outside of the council. They are there as an option not the first point of call.

I was in a position of needing a property many moons ago and was told to rent privately as I was capable of working and doing so. I finally got a property 13 years after being on the list (thankfully before the bidding system which I do think is a bit daft).

I don't ever remembering comparing my situation to others less fortunate and saying I live here, Im born here I deserve priority.

I bid on flats, maisonettes, bedsits, studio as i dont need a house. I bid in the Jordanthorpe, Batemoor, Greenhill, Totley, Bradway, Norton areas.

xxx

....which are all good areas, and thus popular to live in. I doubt that the refugees will be housed in these areas, so they're not exactly taking housing that you would have had, are they?

I bid on flats, maisonettes, bedsits, studio as i dont need a house. I bid in the Jordanthorpe, Batemoor, Greenhill, Totley, Bradway, Norton areas.

xxx

Al, if you are a single person you will have a really hard time to find a property. There just arn't enough around to meet your criteria. :(

Just a point of fact.

The city council is a landlord, just like the housing associations and many private landlords in the city. Nobody has a right to a council property. It was my understanding that priority is given to those who cannot for whatever reason secure housing outside of the council. They are there as an option not the first point of call.

I was in a position of needing a property many moons ago and was told to rent privately as I was capable of working and doing so. I finally got a property 13 years after being on the list (thankfully before the bidding system which I do think is a bit daft).

I don't ever remembering comparing my situation to others less fortunate and saying I live here, Im born here I deserve priority.

13 years, god Fox20thc! Thats a long wait, so did you take the council place then?

I dont think im priority no, but i do think people should be given the chance to be offered a council place just as much as everyone else is.

xxx

Al, if you are a single person you will have a really hard time to find a property. There just arn't enough around to meet your criteria. :(

I know babe, im thinking about renting for a bit so gona start looking into that i think.

xxx

13 years, god Fox20thc! Thats a long wait, so did you take the council place then?

I dont think im priority no, but i do think people should be given the chance to be offered a council place just as much as everyone else is.

xxx

Yes I did, by that time I had a partner a child and one on the way. Not that it would have made much difference, it was just my turn as the waiting list was in use (not bidding)

I still had to fight for it. The council advertised my house in the star, saying no points needed immediate occupation available (the area had a bad rep and nobody wanted to live here). Then when I turned up and said I'll take it they started trying to tie me up in red tape. Fortunately I had the verbal dexterity to quash all their objections and got the house.

Yes I did, by that time I had a partner a child and one on the way. Not that it would have made much difference, it was just my turn as the waiting list was in use (not bidding)

I still had to fight for it. The council advertised my house in the star, saying no points needed immediate occupation available (the area had a bad rep and nobody wanted to live here). Then when I turned up and said I'll take it they started trying to tie me up in red tape. Fortunately I had the verbal dexterity to quash all their objections and got the house.

Yeah because before you was just put on a waiting list and that was that. Good for you for getting the house too.

xxx

I bid on flats, maisonettes, bedsits, studio as i dont need a house. I bid in the Jordanthorpe, Batemoor, Greenhill, Totley, Bradway, Norton areas.

xxx

You will be waiting for ever, especially now people are buying their houses, the number of council properties in "decent" areas is dropping fast.

I bid on flats, maisonettes, bedsits, studio as i dont need a house. I bid in the Jordanthorpe, Batemoor, Greenhill, Totley, Bradway, Norton areas.

xxx

But that's not the same as taking anything is it AlBal? Refugees don't get the chance to bid for something that they would like.

I understand your frustration, but imagine if you had come from Burma, the country with probably the worst human rights record on the planet, where they have forced labour camps, hang children, and force farmers to grow, process and transport opium which they then tax at 10%! You wouldn't complain at living on the worst bit of the Manor for a bit.

I think a little understanding and compassion is needed here.

You won't mind a bit of torturing then?....and having your family killed just to make it look more original?? because other people's suffering seem to make some people want to rip them off and others laugh and complain when they are getting some help. Don't understand this inhumane way of thinking. It's this kind of ignorance and missinformation that is scary...

Read the facts and take issue with the Council, formally, not just on a thread like this. It is this kind of thing that gets people fighting with each other rather than the authorities. Suits governments just fine.

I'm seriously thinking of learning Iranian and becoming a professional refugee.

But that's not the same as taking anything is it AlBal? Refugees don't get the chance to bid for something that they would like.

I understand your frustration, but imagine if you had come from Burma, the country with probably the worst human rights record on the planet, where they have forced labour camps, hang children, and force farmers to grow opium which they then tax at 10%! You wouldn't complain at living on the worst bit of the Manor for a bit.

I think a little understanding and compassion is needed here.

I know its not the same as taking anything but thats by the by. And no i wouldn't complain on living on the Manor, Jordanthorpe, Batemoor and Lowedges aren't too good themselves.

I have got understading and compassion for them Tony, i really do, but we also have the right to feel angry at the same time.

xxx

I think a little understanding and compassion is needed here.


Compassion begins at home,OUR people should get priority over any foreigners,I dont care where they come from, our people must come FIRST.

I know AlBal... you're in a tough position for yourself and it's understandable that you are annoyed. Try not to take it out on some of the worlds most unfortunates though. We are so lucky to live in the UK, and we forget it so easily sometimes.

All the evidence says that Burma really is a terrible country, and we shouldn't let our political issues get in the way of helping them if we can.

royjames, I hope I never come across you under the wheels of a bus. I'll follow your example and leave you there. You don't even have the first understanding of the meaning of the word compassion.

Compassion begins at home,OUR people should get priority over any foreigners,I dont care where they come from, our people must come FIRST.

Unless they're black or gay or Muslims or Roy doesn't like the look of them.

I was homeless twenty- odd years ago, after leaving an abusive relationship.

I spent time in a refuge, and was eventually housed by the council. the property I was given was a property that a number of potential tenants had rejected.

I, on the other hand, had no option but to accept it, as homeless. If i'd rejected it, i'd have been put back to the bottom of the list.

When I went to view the property, to measure up for my curtains, saw why it was rejected. the place was loppy, it stunk, and there was a three-foot high pile of rubble in the middle of the living-room floor.

It was dreadful, but, all the same, it was a roof over my head, and for that, I was grateful. I made the best of a bad job. I'd escaped my abusive partner, and could make a fresh start.

Maybe that's what makes me sympathetic to refugees, as i was homeless, and destitute, and had to make a whole new start, having nothing but the clothes I stood up in.

PT

Now now people we must not object or disagree with this situation.After all we are all racists arnt we?? it beggers belief!!!!!!

In reply to SHShef from yesterday. I agree with you completely. I can't understand why noone else seems to get it that noone in their right mind would risk a possibley deadly trip just to come to live in Sheffield :huh: . There are very good reasons why people who have been granted assylum have been. Death threats, torture, imprisionment for no reason in their home countries. I feel for them, I really do. :loopy:

Compassion begins at home,OUR people should get priority over any foreigners,I dont care where they come from, our people must come FIRST.

and as already said, they are.

The refugees have most likely (no confirmation either way yet) been housed in housing that is constantly rejected by local people.

and as already said, they are.

The refugees have most likely (no confirmation either way yet) been housed in housing that is constantly rejected by local people.

That could be because the areas in question are already full of immigrants and asylum seekers.
We should be allowed some say in where we want to live and bring up our kids so why should we pander even more to this countries enforced and if we are honest with each other unwanted multiculturalism.
You only have to talk to families that used to live in lets say Fir Vale to see how the ethnic minorities there have intimidated white families and their children until they have had to move out. Another form of ethnic cleansing surely.

Edit: Awaites for the stock response "give me the link to the defacto statitsics".

Closing thread. Unfortunately the original poster appears to have made some incorrect assumptions. The council have asked me to make the following statement:

"Thanks for an interesting discussion. In actual fact, none of the refugees who have arrived in this group are being housed in Council properties. They are all in either private rented properties or in social housing which is due for demolition and therefore only a short-term solution. There's more information about these refugees and the Gateway programme which has brought them here at the Sheffield City Council website www.sheffield.gov.uk in the press releases section."

Feel free to start a new thread regarding this statement, but please, as ever, be sure to have your facts correct before you post.