What happens to people who can't afford their social housing?

[SouthPark 10]

So what happens especially to families when for WHATEVER reason they can't afford the rents, top ups, and are evicted? Where do they go?

[Penistone999 10]

The Council for emergency accommodation i presume.

[SouthPark 10]

The Council for emergency accommodation i presume.

 

But the council evicted them in the first place, for non payment, so I wonder how it can make sense to spend the cost of eviction which must be a lot, legal costs, staffing, void periods etc, and then put the family up in probably just as expensive if not more so emergency accommodation. I think it's wrong on all fronts. A family who can't afford social housing clearly needs help not evicting. I don't get it. It doesn't sit well. It's cruel.

[Penistone999 10]

Landlords ( private or council) arnt charities . If people cant or decide not to pay their rent then thats not the landlords problem.

[onewheeldave 22]

Landlords ( private or council) arnt charities . If people cant or decide not to pay their rent then thats not the landlords problem.

 

If people can't pay their rent, it's societies problem.

[El Cid 221]

If people can't pay their rent, it's societies problem.

 

People in such circumstances qualify for housing allowance and get their rent paid.

If they are working, and have paid other bills, before their rent, then councils treat them with more leniency, knowing they will have to re-home them.

[Quik 10]

If people can't pay their rent, it's societies problem.

 

If working people can't afford their rent then clearly society has a problem. However for the individual family its is their problem as its them getting evicted. Try forwarding your bills to 'society', thats not how life works.

[Douglas J 10]

So what happens especially to families when for WHATEVER reason they can't afford the rents, top ups, and are evicted? Where do they go?

 

Very often the family breaks up, with some going to one person's relatives and others going to another's. It's then months or years of sleeping on sofas, sometimes moving around from one person's home to another, which obviously causes stress to the host family as well. They become the hidden homeless. Relatively few end up sleeping rough, although it does happen.

 

Usually the council will say they are homeless "intentionally" [because to do otherwise would suggest the Council was at fault in evicting them in the first place], but even if they do get rehoused, it can cause a lot of trauma. It is especially damaging to children's life chances.

[Anna B 1,417]

But the council evicted them in the first place, for non payment, so I wonder how it can make sense to spend the cost of eviction which must be a lot, legal costs, staffing, void periods etc, and then put the family up in probably just as expensive if not more so emergency accommodation. I think it's wrong on all fronts. A family who can't afford social housing clearly needs help not evicting. I don't get it. It doesn't sit well. It's cruel.

 

I know, it's nuts.

 

Not paying your rent, for whatever reason, including not being able to afford it, is counted as making yourself intentionally homeless and therefore not eligible for any help.

 

And in spite of Social Services etc, a lot of them end up on the street.

[Dardandec 32]

Biggest problem is people think sky subscription's, cigs, booze, fancy TV's and electronics etc, are more important than paying rent, feeding and clothing their kids etc. Then blame everybody else when it all goes t*** up.

[scania 10]

It's all social. What are the main reasons for not paying rent? If you don't pay your mortgage then its curtains, and out on the street you go. Means testing is a way forward. If a couple have two kids and worked from day one, then find themselves unemployed, then that is an honest problem that needs real help. If you have a couple who have two kids, and have never worked a day in their lives, then this couple should take responsibility for their dilemma. That's not unfair, that's rewarding people who do care about society and punishing those who think the state owes them a living because they chose to have children without having the means to support them. Where it is single mums, more should be done to track down the father's to support the lady, until her children are old enough to support themselves. There is no shame in living in social housing, but there is real shame if the Tennant's don't do all they can to run that social house in a responsible manner.

[El Cid 221]

Not paying your rent, for whatever reason, including not being able to afford it, is counted as making yourself intentionally homeless and therefore not eligible for any help.

 

 

They are still entitled to housing benefit, so they can rent privately; no money is saved by not helping them.