Pearl_Jam Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 On the £11 a day note....that's quite a lot of money for each person when you consider mum, dad and all the kids!!! Don't forget the housing benefit, council tax benefit, JSA, income support, free prescriptions, free legal aid the list is endless! I'd be quite upset if each member of my household spent £11 a day, its quite a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go4it Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Council housing isn't a bad idea but estates are. Small spread out groups of houses or single houses would be much better. Sorry yes - I meant council housing in terms of grouping house together. Small pockets would work, with a local neighbourhood group given the power to evict tenants for anti-social behaviour. Council housing is just another reason not to get a job - leave school, have kids, claim benefits, get a house, stay there for ever, keep claiming benefits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manofstrad Posted March 18, 2011 Author Share Posted March 18, 2011 I don't think so. I think it would raise the aspirations of the people living in the council housing and they would see themselves as part of the community rather than being part of sink estate which would make them want to fit in with that community. I mean when you have swathes of council housing full of single mothers who work 15 hours a week in cleaning jobs and otherwise live on benefits there does seem to be some kind of argument for behaviour being learnt and copied from people around you. Don't get me wrong, I think you make some good points. My concern is that the transition from no hope to aspiration would take longer to materialise than the acceptance from the naturally sceptical residents of the better area. In the meantime relationships between the two groups are worsening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorpist Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 All poverty is relative. They don't mean real poverty, like not having enough to eat, or proper shoes. Poverty in this country means not having aTV in your bedroom, your own mobile and a fortnight's holiday abroad. And here's me thinking I was rich and priviledged because I don't have any of those Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manofstrad Posted March 18, 2011 Author Share Posted March 18, 2011 On the £11 a day note....that's quite a lot of money for each person when you consider mum, dad and all the kids!!! Don't forget the housing benefit, council tax benefit, JSA, income support, free prescriptions, free legal aid the list is endless! I'd be quite upset if each member of my household spent £11 a day, its quite a lot. It is quite a lot, you are right! I'm struggling to get my head around the whole issue!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapido Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I thought that the current official term for poverty id 'social exclusion', which is by far a more appropriate term and and more widespread than many would believe. It basically covers the fact that there are people in this country who can't afford a family holiday, a trip to the cinema is a costly treat, cannot afford to eat out or even buy the food they would like to eat. It covers people who have to shuffle bits of money round to afford to keep up with needs of their children, ie school trips, clothes, shoes, dinner money, travel to school and interests..........despite being in work. We both work 5 days a week and we are this situation. So for those people who honestly believe that their is no such thing as poverty, you seriously need to find out a few more facts. This is a country where it's impossible to live without money and where the distribution of wealth is grossly unfair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapido Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Sorry yes - I meant council housing in terms of grouping house together. Small pockets would work, with a local neighbourhood group given the power to evict tenants for anti-social behaviour. Council housing is just another reason not to get a job - leave school, have kids, claim benefits, get a house, stay there for ever, keep claiming benefits. You tried getting a council house recently? We've been on the list for 6 years now and don't have any hope of getting a 3 bed house until we have at least 10 years waiting time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Erikson Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) Its ok arguing a point, but it is important that you know how things work to substantiate your argument. There hasn't been a points system in Sheffield for 7 or 8 years now. Properties are advertised, and people bid with either priority or waiting time. Approx 3 out of 4 lettings are to priority applicants for obvious reasons. Social housing has become mainly for people in need. A great difference from my young days when getting a council house was aspirational for many of us who lived in substandard private lets! But in those days even moving to a different town put applicants at a disadvantage with regards to waiting lists. You mentioned Somalim people - I think its reasonable that they prefer to live in areas where there are others who speak the same language. They will rely on people from their home country who have been here longer to advise and help them to apply for schools for their children, to look for work, or claim benefits. Of course, many immigrants never need or want council housing, if they have come here to work in a professional job they are just as likely as anyone else to buy their own homes or rent privately. Being an immigrant doesn't necessarily signify poverty for them or their children. For info: http://www.sheffieldpropertyshop.org.uk/resources/Lettings%20Policy%20document.pdf?ID=DE4D4721FA444D67844BAE88864318EB There may not be a direct points system any more but the bidding system is ultimately point related. I can bid for a flat with other people and the one who has been waiting longest or who is a "priority" case will get it. There's still a point style thing going on. The council made so many of the places for priority cases that an ordinary working person would not win a bid before an unemployed homeless person . Therefore the estate would only get unemployed people on it. As has happened on Washington Road. It's as simple as if all the flats in an area are for priority cases then that area will be ful of priority people. What do the council define as priority cases now? Is it still homeless, unemployed, pregnant and unemployed, immigrant and so on. If you're working you're not priority. That's what's happened in S11. Edited March 19, 2011 by Tony Erikson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Erikson Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 All this talk of small pockets of poverty is stupid too. We have a few areas that have large pockets of poverty. Break it down and dilute it I say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas J Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 What do the council define as priority cases now? Is it still homeless, unemployed, pregnant and unemployed, immigrant and so on. If you're working you're not priority. That's what's happened in S11. Out of these categories, only (some) homeless people get priority. none of the other categories give you priority. Many working people do get priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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