Social housing

[dwsi]

Jac o' the North: Assembly Petition on Social Housing http://bit.ly/oWmvlv

Assembly Petition on Social Housing

I had earlier thought that my submission to the Assembly Petition Committee had been rejected for being too much like a petition presented earlier by one Adam Brown, domiciled in Cardiff but a Merthyr Tydfil councillor for Ukip. All explained here. But my - re-worded - petition has now been accepted. The reason for the change of heart is that I call for a residency qualification while Adam Brown is seeking to deny social housing to all "non-UK nationals".

The petition can be found here in Welsh and here in English. Obviously the wording will not be to everybody's liking but please don't be overly critical, because the point is to draw attention to the shambles that is social housing provision in Wales. This has to be the first step to getting the changes made that will benefit our people and our communities. The petition is open until December 31. After which:   

"You will then have the opportunity to present your petition to the Committee on the steps of the Senedd. This will give you the chance to meet the Committee Members and get some media coverage if you would like to. We can chat more about this closer to the closing date of your petition."

So let's give it our best shot; for even though this is my petition, through this blog and in other ways I have learnt of the massive and widespread dissatisfaction with the way social housing providers in Wales operate. So this is your petition as much as mine.

Please sign it and then pass it on to as many people as you know who share our feelings about social housing provision. Use Facebook, Twitter or any other medium you can think off - but let's get as many signatures as we can.

Posted by Jac o' the North

[Ian]

I've inserted links to the relevant petitions, dwsi.

[Pendragon]

I've signed the petition and posted the link on my facebook.  The issue of social housing has become out of control now it's getting beyond a joke.  I remember years ago I applied for social housing in Penmaenmawr and was told there was a 2 yr waiting list.  As homes became available I noticed the people getting those homes were not from Pen, and had never lived in Pen. 

[DaveR]

It's crazy situation. I know of one shared ownership property locally, where the residents were from Kong Kong and didnt speak a word of English, whilst there were many local couples waiting to get on the property ladder.

[Bri Roberts]

DaveR, what is the problem when shared ownership refers to ownership of a property and not renting?

Surely, a local couple are entitled to the same opportunity as a couple from Hong Kong if both couples are in a position to obtain and take on a mortgage in conjunction with an interest-only loan?

[DaveR]

The whole idea of shared ownership was to provide a more affordable way for local people to buy property in their own area. With the greatest of respect, Hong Kong is not local to Colwyn Bay. There should be restrictions in place to ensure that applicants have a local background.

[Bri Roberts]

DaveR, I think you maybe confusing Affordable Housing with shared ownership, shared equity and homebuy schemes which have all been around for many years and are not necessarily limited to local people.

Housing Associations tend to support shared ownership with a normal mortgage from a lender and top it up with funds allocated to them from the Welsh Government, which can act the same way a cash deposit does.

Schemes are usually dealt with on a first come, first served basis from a long waiting list with no points system involved.

However, a larger family usually gets the greater support.

[Hugo]

Housing Associations tend to support shared ownership with a normal mortgage from a lender and top it up with funds allocated to them from the Welsh Government, which can act the same way a cash deposit does.

If the funds are topped up from the Welsh Government then shouldn't priority be given to local people to buy the property?

As for affordable housing and how it is allocated under the present system it is a joke and any comment I would like to make would be unprintable.      :rage: :rage:

Thanks for the original posting Dwsi

[Bri Roberts]

Housing Associations tend to support shared ownership with a normal mortgage from a lender and top it up with funds allocated to them from the Welsh Government, which can act the same way a cash deposit does.

If the funds are topped up from the Welsh Government then shouldn't priority be given to local people to buy the property?

I agree and I also imagine WGov need to stipulate that as a requirement so housing associations can change their qualifying criteria.

As for affordable housing and how it is allocated under the present system it is a joke and any comment I would like to make would be unprintable.      :rage: :rage:

Thanks for the original posting Dwsi

[Willsmith12]

The scope of social housing jobs has widened dramatically since the 1980s. At that time social housing was very much about rent collection and managing anti social behaviour within socially housed neighbourhoods.

[Llechwedd]

I don't mind them building on Boadfon fields if the houses are to be for locals and first time buyers.  What I do object to are old age pensioners coming from England and overloading the infrastructure - social service.  Locals shouldn't have to queue behind them.

[Yorkie]

I don't mind them building on Boadfon fields if the houses are to be for locals and first time buyers.  What I do object to are old age pensioners coming from England and overloading the infrastructure - social service.  Locals shouldn't have to queue behind them.

A lot of these, as you call them, Old Aged Pensioners, moving into the area bring valuable resources into the community.  They also BUY their houses and thereby remove a burden from the Local Service providers.

I presume that all the Welsh people who have decided in the past to remove themselves from this not so green, and sometimes unpleasant land, get thought of somewhat differently wherever they may have settled. 

 

[Merddin Emrys]

I don't mind them building on Boadfon fields if the houses are to be for locals and first time buyers.  What I do object to are old age pensioners coming from England and overloading the infrastructure - social service.  Locals shouldn't have to queue behind them.

We've been living in North Wales for 5 years now, most of it near Porthmadog and you are the first 'local' to make me feel out of place! I'm not an oap and we bought our own house outright, I can't see the problem?  I can see the problem with the problem / drunk / druggie / undesirables from England, dumped in Rhyl, Colwyn Bay and Llandudno, yet strangely you do not mention them?  Have I read your post correctly or does it need adjusting in some way?

Anyway where is Boadfon fields?  :twoface:

 

[DaveR]

I'm not an oap and we bought our own house outright, I can't see the problem?

Surely she is not referring to you then? 

[Merddin Emrys]

only 9 years to go