Sheffield City Council Housing Waiting List

[PippaLoo]

If it's any consillation...I know someone who has been in council housing and rung up to get their bidding details and they've turned round and told them that they didn't register so now the only priority that they would have would be the 5years waiting and now thats been taken away because they don't have any record of the application on file!

 

Please take comfort in the fact you aren't alone in the world getting screwed!

[chem1st]

A percentage of all new build homes built are selected for affordable housing. These include shared ownership and housing association rented housing. The idea is to provide mixed tenure housing estates and get away from the massive social housing estates of the past. The new estates where this is already in practice have been a huge success and developers are happy to continue with these scheme as they have a guarenteed income from selected plots bought by housing associations.

 

The homes which have been demolished by the council where all deemed as unsuitable for refurbishment. In lay mans terms they needed too much money spending on them to bring them up to decent standards. Most suffered from structural faults or where of a non standard construction which had exceeded their design life span. Homes are never demolished just for the sake of it.

 

I would happily have accepted them houses deemed as unsuitable and it would not bother me in the slightest if they were never ever refurbished.

For you see, they are better than nothing at all.

 

I can see the reason and need for good housing, good housing should be the highest priority for a states peoples, however, bad housing is infinitely better than NO housing.

Society has reaped what it has sown and it has't sown enough to end the suffering. Those that suffer will make you suffer, so at least there is some fairness in that!

[Ms Macbeth]

If it's any consillation...I know someone who has been in council housing and rung up to get their bidding details and they've turned round and told them that they didn't register so now the only priority that they would have would be the 5years waiting and now thats been taken away because they don't have any record of the application on file!

 

Please take comfort in the fact you aren't alone in the world getting screwed!

 

If they are already in council housing, and have an urgent need for a move, they won't need waiting time. If they are assessed as needing an adapted or accessible property, they would get priority status, normal waiting time wouldn't count in those circumstances. If they are classed as overcrowded, again they'd get priority.

 

However, I think I get your point and would remind anyone who gets a council or housing association property that they can immediately put their name on the register to build up waiting time, just in case they feel they want to move.

[Ms Macbeth]

I would happily have accepted them houses deemed as unsuitable and it would not bother me in the slightest if they were never ever refurbished.

For you see, they are better than nothing at all.

 

I can see the reason and need for good housing, good housing should be the highest priority for a states peoples, however, bad housing is infinitely better than NO housing.

Society has reaped what it has sown and it has't sown enough to end the suffering. Those that suffer will make you suffer, so at least there is some fairness in that!

 

Can't you see there would be a cost involved in trying to maintain properties that have passed their 'sell by' date which would either result in increased rents for all tenants or a general reduction in other housing services. Also, unpopular flats and houses used to be empty for months, costing money for security and also lost rents. The government legislated for regeneration of northern cities where there were large council estates with many empty properties, as history had shown that mixing housing types stopped large areas decending into poverty and becoming hotspots of anti social behaviour.

[chem1st]

Can't you see there would be a cost involved in trying to maintain properties that have passed their 'sell by' date which would either result in increased rents for all tenants or a general reduction in other housing services. Also, unpopular flats and houses used to be empty for months, costing money for security and also lost rents. The government legislated for regeneration of northern cities where there were large council estates with many empty properties, as history had shown that mixing housing types stopped large areas decending into poverty and becoming hotspots of anti social behaviour.

 

I fail to see why you have quoted me.

 

I'll take the unpopular property and make it my own...

[Dexkdes]

How about letting poorer condition houses with rent reductions following evaluations on repairs carried out by the tenant? I would also be very happy to take a property and "do it up" to mkae it m own, with the bonus that rent is cheaper as a result.

[Ms Macbeth]

There was a scheme called 'homesteading' in Sheffield which started around 2001 I think. Foxhill and Shirecliffe were included in the project. Empty houses that hadn't attracted tenants, and needed a lot of work, were sold to people on the waiting list - with very big discounts. There was a stipulation that they were improved to a minimum standard within a couple of years. IIRC the scheme was introduced along with other measures to reduce the number of empty homes. Private housing was still selling cheaply here at the time, hence the low demand for council housing.

 

There is a link to some info: http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/council-meetings/scrutiny/successfulneighbourhoods/agenda-9th-october-2003/update-on-homesteading-policy

 

I understand why people get frustrated at the lack of affordable housing, but back in the early 2000's the demand was so low, that getting rid of some of the poorest was a priority. Who could have forecast that within a few years people would want to rent houses that had previously stood empty for many months. Crystal ball anyone?

[ERNIER]

Hi, my son trained bloody hard to get qualified to management level in the construction industry, and like many of his work mates is not finding work. This leaves him trapped between not being able to pay to have is own place to live and not being eligable to get a home from the council. Not much changes!

[chem1st]

Hi, my son trained bloody hard to get qualified to management level in the construction industry, and like many of his work mates is not finding work. This leaves him trapped between not being able to pay to have is own place to live and not being eligable to get a home from the council. Not much changes!

 

He needs to start building social housing, the money to do it is in the banks. That money in the banks being our future taxes. Money which we can only borrow against and pay back with interest, even though that money is rightfully ours.

[Ms Macbeth]

Hi, my son trained bloody hard to get qualified to management level in the construction industry, and like many of his work mates is not finding work. This leaves him trapped between not being able to pay to have is own place to live and not being eligable to get a home from the council. Not much changes!

 

His being out of or in work has no bearing on his eligibility for social housing. If he's a British citizen and registered with the council then he'll be eligible. The possibility of his getting a council property will depend on how long he is registered, or if he is in a vulnerable category, he may get priority of some sort. Has he looked into renting privately, and investigating how much housing benefit/local housing allowance he would be eligible for?

 

Chem1st has a point - and if the government were to make the money available to start building some more social housing, it would give work to the struggling building trade!