Bargain Flats (Apartments)?

[Tee]

By British standards you've got a bargain AS, you'd be paying at least $3000 pm here for probably a smaller house.
Our housing is smaller in internal size than yours in the US but costs much much more. On top of the rent you'd have to pay council tax of something like $300 pm which goes to the local council to pay for street cleaning, bin collection, etc. Some of it goes to the County Council and helps pay for the Police, schools, etc.
My daughter lives near Boulder, Colorado, and her place is massive for the small rent she pays - but there again most things are much cheaper in the US. We're paying $12 a gallon for diesel here today!

That's because we have less government (regulation, control) than you.

Our economy is going down the shitter and if the dems get their way, our economy will end up just like yours; $12 gas, $3000 apartments, $300/mo taxes just for basic municipal costs. We are heading in that direction though. It's scary. But hey, we're doing it for the children, right?

[Binky Bainbridge]

Actually AoO they are offering them a sweet deal, very sweet. WHile it isn't as cheap as section 8, the location is off the chart. It would be like a poor family in the US getting a luxury seaside apartment in the Hampton's or one in Miami that is equivalent to a 500k+ condo, regardless of house or apartment sized disparities between the states and the UK.

Spot on aftlizard. It's all part of the government's plan to break down rich/poor ghettoes and create a more balanced community. Whilst I'm left of the conservative centre I can't say I agree with this form of social engineering.

But is is wise or indeed sensible to encourage all those on very low incomes or unemployed to live in the one same place in sub-standard housing, aren't you creating the very conditions that breed crime, drug abuse, etc? In Britain such places are referred to as "sink estates" where the housing and the people who live in them are in a spiral of terminal despair & hopelessness and no-one gives a damn. I've seen such places in various parts of the US and they're very scary places to say the least.

[Army_Strong]

By British standards you've got a bargain AS, you'd be paying at least $3000 pm here for probably a smaller house.
Our housing is smaller in internal size than yours in the US but costs much much more. On top of the rent you'd have to pay council tax of something like $300 pm which goes to the local council to pay for street cleaning, bin collection, etc. Some of it goes to the County Council and helps pay for the Police, schools, etc.
My daughter lives near Boulder, Colorado, and her place is massive for the small rent she pays - but there again most things are much cheaper in the US. We're paying $12 a gallon for diesel here today!

I don't care if it is doe to gov't control. Ya'll just getten f#$ked plain and simple. Do you get some KY or something to help ease pain?

[Highwayman]

Flats are what you in the US call apartments.

"Council tenants" are low paid people who cannot afford to buy a house or flat of their own, nor can they afford to rent in the private sector. Local councils in England provide low cost housing for such people, hence the term, "council tenants".

As I mentioned the law now says that for every new housing development over 15 units, the builder must provide a number of units for social housing for low paid council tenants.

We have similar programs here where builders have to include a number of “affordable” homes within some of their developments. It’s normally done through local governments as opposed to state or federal levels. Some houses are offered at a lower price for less affluent buyers but not necessarily buyers getting government assistance.

What I’ve seen that we call section 8 has been entire apartment complexes devoted to low income, government assisted families. This sounds like your “council tenants.”

By British standards you've got a bargain AS, you'd be paying at least $3000 pm here for probably a smaller house.
Our housing is smaller in internal size than yours in the US but costs much much more. On top of the rent you'd have to pay council tax of something like $300 pm which goes to the local council to pay for street cleaning, bin collection, etc. Some of it goes to the County Council and helps pay for the Police, schools, etc.
My daughter lives near Boulder, Colorado, and her place is massive for the small rent she pays - but there again most things are much cheaper in the US. We're paying $12 a gallon for diesel here today!

The council tax you refer to sounds like what we have in many areas that we call HOA fees. (Home Owners Association) It does not pay for “council tenants.” The use varies depending on if it’s houses or condominiums (flats). The apartment style housing will use fees exterior maintenance like lawn care, snow removal and exterior maintenance of the building. In areas of individual houses it pays for a committee of busybodies to snoop around and make sure folks paint their house with the approved shade of earth tones, plant only the approved plants and shrubs, repair their fence with the proper size pickets, have their garage doors closed after 6:00 PM and stuff like that. I’m sure that’s real big in The Peoples Republic of Boulder.

[Binky Bainbridge]

[quote=Highwayman;74741]The council tax you refer to sounds like what we have in many areas that we call HOA fees.
If you live in a block of flats in the UK each tenant has to pay what is called an annual "service charge" that pays for maintenance of all the common areas, e.g., gardens, external painting, lobby, lifts (elevators), security, etc which I think is similar to your HOA plus council tax.

I’m sure that’s real big in The Peoples Republic of Boulder.

Boulder is a cool place, I really like it.

[Army_of_One]

But is is wise or indeed sensible to encourage all those on very low incomes or unemployed to live in the one same place in sub-standard housing, aren't you creating the very conditions that breed crime, drug abuse, etc? I

See....there's your philosophy...the gov't "encourages" people to live some where. Let them live where they want to. If they choose to live in a bad neighborhood it should be their right. Furthermore if I'm purchasing a million dollar home I'll be damned if I want a crack house next to me. I'm generalizing here but a lot of times people that live in those drug abuse/crime ridden area's are that way because they have made choices to put them there. If you drive to "those parts' in Dodge most of the have an unkempt lawn and their place looks filthy. Why would someone want to buy a million dollar "flat" next to that?

Also...the gov't doesn't "create" the conditions that breed crime and drug abuse. People that do that sort of stuff eventually migrate to the same area. Why would it be the govt's responsibility to spread the crack head criminals all over the city. If you take a turd and put them in a nice house you still have a turd....it's just a turd with a nice house...:)

[Binky Bainbridge]

See....there's your philosophy...the gov't "encourages" people to live some where. Let them live where they want to.

They can and do live where they want to.

If they choose to live in a bad neighborhood it should be their right.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't meet many people who choose to live in a bad neighbourhood, do you? Do I see protestors in the streets with banners proclaiming that they want to live in crime & drug infested slum neighbourhoods - No.

I'm generalizing here but a lot of times people that live in those drug abuse/crime ridden area's are that way because they have made choices to put them there.

Yes you are generalising Ao1 and only tackling the issue at a superficial level. Do you ever ask yourself the question - "why do they live in these areas?" There is no pre-ordained reason why people end up in dire circumstances, there are in fact many reasons why this happens, a lot of them to do with the fractured society in which we live, where the "haves" are unwilling or uncaring about the "have-nots" and simply see them as a problem. Until we are willing to face up to, and deal with the real social problems within our communities, instead of trying to, metaphorically, "sweep them under the carpet", then no progress will ever be made, we're be locked into a spiral of terminal decline.
Social inequality and the refusal to tackle the root causes of poverty will never result in a fair just civilised society, and ultimately, we'll all pay the price.

[Army_of_One]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't meet many people who choose to live in a bad neighbourhood, do you?

So if they don't make the choice then WHO chooses that for them. I believe people have choices. When you drop out of school or choose to play video games instead of study you make a choice. When you put that needle in your arm or put your mouth to that pipe you make a choice...when you have sex out of wedlock and don't use birth control you make a choice....If drink and drive you make a choice....life is full of choices and in our country you HAVE the RIGHT to choose...so in many cases people end up the way they are because of choices they make. It's part of who we are...

[JayhawkMom]

It's not always about choice......and I'll give an example:

My Mom and Dad bought a house 45 years ago and have lived in it ever since. It was their home; they didn't want to move. They loved their house.

The house was in a nice, quiet neighborhood. Everyone knew their neighbors. They had neighbors over for supper. The kids all played together, tag football, catch,etc.

My Dad (god rest him) died in 1999. My mother continues to be attached to the house; that is where her memories are, this is her home.

However, now the old neighbors have moved, and in their place are people who have not kept up their houses, have junk in their yards, don't mow, play boom boxes all hours of the day and night, sell drugs out of the house across the street, have vicious animals that run loose all over the neighborhood, etc.

She's 80 now, and cannot afford to move. Whose choice was that? Certainly not hers, but she's forced to live with it.

I think you get my point........

[JayhawkMom]

And this nice, quiet neighborhood USE to be 3 blocks off of Commance on 7th street.

Go take a drive down 7th now......