On 22/01/2021 16:31, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Fredxx wrote:
On 22/01/2021 13:37, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Fredxx wrote:
On 21/01/2021 14:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Lamb wrote:
I already had a house and didn't pay much attention at the time they
were sold off. Without knowing anything about the construction funding,
it seemed not unreasonable at the time.

Is something preventing any local authority building more?

Thatcher specifically forbad the use of money obtained from the sale of
council housing being used to build more. She didn't want any in
subsidised housing, as they would be more likely not to vote Tory.

Which is the bit I feel was criminal. However it did save councils from
maintaining council stock, which was often at a loss wrt rent.

Of course. If you expect to pay an adult in full time work less than a
living wage you must also expect to subsidise where they live.

The need for a statutory minimum wage is the criminal aspect.
Historically wages were determined by demand rather than statute.
Housing was less of a problem then too.

And in many cases, housing went with the job. Not too good if you lost
that job for whatever reason. A way of making employees tow the line
regardless.

You can't keep down a full time job sleeping rough. Now such
subsidised housing is rather rare, the subsidy goes to private
landlords via UC etc. And that private landlord has to make a profit.

Quite, all because of the housing shortage. I recall in the early 2000s
that if you had a house for rent you had more enquiries from estate
agents asking if you would consider selling than from prospective tenant.

There isn't a housing shortage everywhere. If jobs get concentrated in one
part of the country people migrate there leaving empty houses behind.

Quite, perhaps the retired should be forced to live there rather than
blocking housing for those who do. As they wouldn't have to endure a 2
hour drive to a job.

As an aside I have often wondered by business rates weren't made a
stronger function of local house prices, to encourage businesses with a
keen eye on costs relocate. Also stamp duty is a further cost of job
relocation.
Then we had the various Accession treaties courtesy of John Major and
Tony Bliar and we now get whingeing about profits Landlords make. You
really couldn't make it up.

I can't justify the desire by some to make a profit out of everything. As
a mantra.

Your desire for many landlords was to stay in the EU to bolster housing
demand as well as provide a cheap source of labour.