Sheffield City Council Housing Waiting List

[leviathan13]

"Oh yay - yet another SCC bashing housing thread! Can never have enough of those!"

It will always be until this system changes, I have been waiting list for 4 years bidding every week with no joy, simply because I don't fit the criteria as mentioned above so I have had to go private.

 

I've been on over 7 1/2 years, but I don't see it as a right that I should be given a Council property.

 

If I could get one then of course it would help me out financially, but I have gone private too and I'm happy that I have a place to call my own.

[chem1st]

There's nothing wrong with the actual system - it's people's expectations and attitudes toward it that are the problem.

 

On the old system people put their name on the list and were offered a property when they got to the top of the list. Of course, back then there was double the amount of Council properties so, obviously, the waiting times were shorter. But they were still let in the same way - to priority and waiting time.

 

If it reverted back to the old system, you would still be waiting the same amount of time for a property as you are now - except that you wouldn't have a say in what you were offered, and if you turned 3 down your application would be suspended for 12 months. Yup, that sounds much better to me.

 

The system is flawed. Blatant age discrimination, properties just lieing empty on the first come first served page. And the selling off of properties. The increase in demand for housing should have been met by increased building of housing, it wasn't. We now have problems, these are causing racial tensions in areas. It's also adversely affecting many peoples mental health.

 

'TENTS' - because Sheffield Homes won't house you, for everything else, go to prison!

[chem1st]

What criteria do you think councils should apply in deciding who to give properties to? That's a genuine question.

 

Sorry, was writing this when Leviathan posted.

 

They need to address the lack of housing. They should give everyone a house!

 

The housing ministers of years gone buy should do the decent thing and hang themselves.

[med_student]

According to city council these are the criteria: have to be unemployed, on drugs, alcoholic, just come out of prison, suffered mental or physical abuse or preggy amongst other things to get a council property but if you are employed and pay taxes you will be at the bottom of their list.

"I've been on over 7 1/2 years, but I don't see it as a right that I should be given a Council property."

It is the same right for employed people as it is for all those described above.

[Ms Macbeth]

According to city council these are the criteria: have to be unemployed, on drugs, alcoholic, just come out of prison, suffered mental or physical abuse or preggy amongst other things to get a council property but if you are employed and pay taxes you will be at the bottom of their list.

 

Not quite as clear cut as you suggest. I suggest you read this: http://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/23358/Shelter_advice_booklet_homeless.pdf

 

It gives clear and unbiased information about homelessness and what circumstances normally lead to someone being in priority need. It applies across England. Central government make the rules, local government apply them.

[leviathan13]

They need to address the lack of housing. They should give everyone a house!

The housing ministers of years gone buy should do the decent thing and hang themselves.

 

Well, considering there are around 90,000 people on the list, and only around 40,000 plus properties, most of then with tenants already in them - how can they give everyone a house?

 

What a stupid comment.

[Plain Talker]

If your in full time employment, you got more chnace of winning the lottery!

 

(trust me)

 

If you are in full-time employment you should, theoretically have the wherewithal to afford a private property.

"Oh yay - yet another SCC bashing housing thread! Can never have enough of those!"

It will always be until this system changes, I have been waiting list for 4 years bidding every week with no joy, simply because I don't fit the criteria as mentioned above so I have had to go private.

 

so you have no need for a property, as you have found one?

[gina2007]

The council have a statutory duty to make sure children have somewhere to live. It doesn't apply to adults in the same way. If you'd been on your own, you'd have been in the same situation as the OP unless you have other reasons that would make you a priority case. Not having somewhere to live isn't enough by itself. The OP won't get a council property on homeless priority - he's perfectly capable of looking out for himself, unlike a baby or young child, or someone with major physical or mental disabilities, or the elderly and infirm etc. etc.

 

Umm.. I was just saying that yes it is hard to get a council property. He/she (sorry forgot who started the thread!) has already stated they wont get priority, I never questioned that. I said keep it up, as in keep on bidding and trying and that it'll happen. Yes, I know that they did this because I had a child. Yes i'd have still got priority housing because I was 16, and still classed as a child myelf. I don't actually get what your point is towards my post? I never doubted or questioned anything the OP has put, I gave my opinion that it is hard to get somewhere. Maybe the OP is capable of finding himself a place to live, why shouldnt he get a council place? Or, why should he get one? Noone should get anything in life, but this is something thats available to people and he was just asking is this what you have to be to get a council place. And IMO, yes OP, the reasons you stated are how you get a council place.

[Plain Talker]

Is it just me or do you have to be unemployed, on drugs, alcoholic, just come out of prison, suffered mental or physical abuse or preggy amongst other things to get a council property?

 

These were the criteria i was asked to claim "priority". Dont get me wrong all the things listed above other then drink and drugs use (or maybe preggy, although some do this to get a house) are genuine reasons. But other then lie through your teeth what chance do you have of getting a property from the council or housing assoc.?

 

It's no longer true that a young woman gets a property just because they are pregnant. and surely you'd see someone disabled/ with a kid/ pregnant as being higher priority for a property than a chap who can look after themselves?

 

My circumstances are fairly common to cut a long story short, split up with my wife, no home so relying on friends and family to put me up. In full time employment so i can pay my way with full rent and council tax etc, yet not offered anything in a year.

If you can pay your way, then, erm... do that?

 

Bid every single week for a year, i know a year is not a long time but when your living with friends and family it is, yet nothing. You see on the council web site about the properties you bid on and they are allocated to "priority" applicants who have not been on the list other then a few weeks or months.

 

Again, surely you recognise that someone vulnerable has a higher need of housing than yourself, a man who can look after himself?

 

As as for the "first come first served" part of the site what a joke, every single property is for over 40, 55 or 60.

 

Would you want an 18 year old moving into the flat above yours if you were an elderly person?

 

Declaring myself homeless was not an option for reason i'm sure many of you would understand working in full time employment.

 

How long have you been on the list with no joy?

Thanks my rant is over now hehe

 

My best mate was disabled, and had been made homeless, about five years ago, now, and it took the council 7 months to house her, even with a priority!!

[chem1st]

Well, considering there are around 90,000 people on the list, and only around 40,000 plus properties, most of then with tenants already in them - how can they give everyone a house?

 

What a stupid comment.

 

Are you incapable of reading???

 

I've said;

'they need to address the lack of housing'

'they SHOULD give everyone a house'

 

in the previous post where I responded to you, I said they SHOULD have sought to increase the amount of housing as demand increased.

 

If you run a shop and you have 100 customers wanting a pint of milk everyday, you would buy in 100 pints of milk a day. You'd meet the demand.

Likewise, if you run a country and the peole of that country want social housing. You should make sure there is enough.

 

This clearly has not been done, hence we have the ridiculous situation that we have now. 90000 waiting for social housing which is not there. People are obviously very angry about this.

 

You go to Sheffield homes and it says 'our staff don't allocate properties', 'our staff have the right to work without fear of violence'.

2 things which are blatantly untrue, they do have to allocate properties and they should be afraid of violence, because with 90k on a waiting list that doesn't materialise, there is a big chance that at least one of them is going to attack Sheffield Homes staff.

I know it isn't Sheffield Homes staff's fault, but I don't know if the other 90k (and rising) do.