On 29 Oct, 18:06, "Niteawk"  wrote:
> "Mogga"  wrote in message
>
> news:5m0ci35n61leopuhfsisdspgilbt2pikij@4ax.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 15:50:18 -0000, "Niteawk" 
> > wrote:
>
> >>"Mogga"  wrote in message
> >>news:lk99i313u9qkoah3gn1q2t4drhmiv35lj2@4ax.com...
> >>> On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 14:58:43 -0000, "Niteawk" 
> >>> wrote:
>
> >>>>Yes, the same good old nanny state that got rid of affordable housing
> >>>>and
> >>>>sold control of our utilities to forigners, privatised everything and
> >>>>told
> >>>>us by creating competition it would bring the cost of living down, all
> >>>>lies
> >>>>of course.
>
> >>>>You are meeting people who would rather be on benefits because it is an
> >>>>affordable way to live without the risk of being made homeless. Nobody
> >>>>wants
> >>>>a job that will leave them struggling to pay rent with an altrenative to
> >>>>claim help with housing costs. Thats a definite no, people on the dole
> >>>>cant
> >>>>afford to be in debt.
>
> >>> Rents are too high! The rent officer says a fair rent for my street is
> >>> 85 a week. Council charges 75. Private landlords charge 135 and 150
>
> >>Rents are not that high, they are in line with the cost of living,
> >>considering what it costs a private landlord in mortgage payments.
>
> > But if rents were fixed house prices would have to be lower (Negative
> > equity might hurt some people like it did during the last housing
> > crash)
> > Is it right that people can make huge sums of money from basic
> > provision of services like housing, water, fuel?
>
> The govt is never going to fix rents, how can they.
>
>
>
> > The last 7 properties sold on my street have been "snapped" up by 3
> > different private landlords.
>
> And this trend will continue while the govt and LA's stand back and do
> nothing, as the homeless toll rises, civil war could break out in this
> country.
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> >>The council may well charge £75 pw, but then its property is provided free
> >>courtesy of the tax payer anyway.
> >>The problem is, councils are moving out of the lettings market and giving
> >>away their remaining housing stock free to housing trusts which charge
> >>about
> >>the same in rent as a private LL. The government must allow councils to
> >>start building to provide affordable properties for rent or more and more
> >>people are going to stay unemployed.
>
> > But what is affordable? Until recently mortgage lenders lent 3X salary
> > for a property and this was enough. Now people are having to borrow 7X
> > for an average price property. Given the US credit crunch it's likely
> > that the house of cards will tumble.
>
> Affordable as in to pay rent for minimum wage earners, thats what I am
> talking about. I dont give a damn what the private sector charges.
>
> > Tax credits. Which are propping up poorly paid, short hour jobs.
> > Benefiting employers greatly.
>
> Which cant be relied on, over payments are common leaving people in shit
> when they have to repay.
>
>
>
> > I believe some private flats in one city are being used by the LA for
> > housing homeless people. This isn't social housing on the cheap by any
> > means.
>
> A housing trust was set up by councillors in my area to house single
> homeless people, because it was a trust run by councillors they had no
> problem getting the extortionet rents paid by the LA.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Ummmm.....the homeless toll is reducing. Overall.
At least according to the councils. Who have to spend money if they
find there are homeless that must be helped. So vested interest in
showing low figures.
The charities (Crisis, Shelter, St Martin's and St Basil's are the big
ones I know best) tend to say that the homeless numbers are
increasing. But affects income, so again a vested interest but this
time in showing high figures.

I'm pretty sure civil war won't break out. Been centuries since the
last one and it was over rather bigger issues than we have today.
Oh, and it does require organising by at least one side.

Housing trusts can work out well. But don't your councillors have to
declare an interest when it comes time to vote?
Our local press tends to be all over councillors who get things wrong
(and boy can they get things wrong).

Martin  <><