View Full Version : Council houses for teenagers.
just wondered what peoples opinions were on council houses being given to 16-18yr old ?
where i live there has been several houses come available to rent & within the last 6 months they have all been given to 16-18 year olds!
Most of these kids dont work & spend most of their time drinking & partying.
are kids of this age really responsible enough to live alone or are the council just asking for trouble?
just wondered what peoples opinions were on council houses being given to 16-18yr old ?
where i live there has been several houses come available to rent & within the last 6 months they have all been given to 16-18 year olds!
Most of these kids dont work & spend most of their time drinking & partying.
are kids of this age really responsible enough to live alone or are the council just asking for trouble?
Daft idea, if you ask me. Of course they will be irresponsible... just the council DGs wanting to be seen to be doing something.
It depends on whther they have somewhere else to live really doesnt it. If they are leavig care then there really should be some support put in to help them with the transition from being looked after to living independantly. However there often isnt that support or its patchy depending on where you live.
the houses have all been given to kids that lived with their parents.
The majority have all been in serious trouble of some sort & continue to cause trouble. yet the council see fit to give them all houses & all on the same street!
Im wondering what sort of impact it will have if i ever come to sell my house although i dont live on this street im close & im sure my house price would be less because of this!!
i was given a council house at 17, im not irresponsible, dont drink or party, im 21 soon and i have a wee girl, we arent all bad
this is a hard one, as Ash has said not all teenagers are irresponible , i know i was at that age ,i spose kids are growing up earlier nowadays, well some kids are. we had a 16 year old as a neighbour for about a year and believe me it was a real nightmare, a 24 hour 7 days a week youth club.
after the weekends i had to go search the garden with a wee shovel to pick up the condoms before i could let the dog out. in the end he was evicted.
but lets not tar them all with the same brush after all i guess they have to live somewhere,[ christ almighty so long as its not next to me] :eek:[disgust]
Is there not hostel type accomodation that they could live in? While they lived there, the staff could assess their suitability for living on their own.
sorry ash!! i wasnt having having a go at all teenagers. I have teenage kids myself so i know they arent all bad.
dragonfly
12-Jun-07, 17:09
welcome to my world Brie! I live opposite bedsit flats that are occupied by young adults. Like yours these do not work and seem to spend all their time running between each others flats leaving doors wide open and letting their music blare out for all the neighbours to listen to. At nights we are treated to a varied entertainment programme of drunken/drugged antics. My house has been broken into by one of the occupants and while he did go to prison for it, his flat was kept on for him and he moved back in when released (has been back in prison at least 3 times more but still comes back to the flat after each trip away and tries to intimidate me if I am out in the garden by giving me the V's and even coming leaning over my fence staring at me [evil])
on the bright side, they usually damage the property and are kicked out so the council do the flats up, replace all the broken doors/windows and then let it to another young adult who invariably does the same thing as the previous tenant :confused
Agree not all teenagers are the same but the occupants of these bedsits ARE all the same!
NickInTheNorth
12-Jun-07, 17:59
Well society seems to think it is ok for teenagers:
to marry
to have kids
to drink
to smoke
to work
to pay taxes
So perhaps before we say they are not responsible enough to have their own house we should look at all of the above?
Some teenagers are irresponsible, but who taught them to be that way?
Some adults are irresponsible, why is that?
There are teenagers all over the UK making a very good job of bringing themselves up, making themselves very responsible and well behaved adults, despite all the obstacles thrown in their way by our caring and helpful society. So give them a break. Don't criticise, offer help. It may well be rejected, but you could just make a huge difference to some very troubled kids.
:D
you have made a good point here, i wasnt troubled but i got pregnant young, everyone looked down there noses at me, but now i have a beautful job,lovely 3year old,studying hard and i have a fantastic boyfriend!
There are teenagers all over the UK making a very good job of bringing themselves up, making themselves very responsible and well behaved adults, despite all the obstacles thrown in their way by our caring and helpful society. So give them a break. Don't criticise, offer help. It may well be rejected, but you could just make a huge difference to some very troubled kids.[/quote]
I agree there are plenty of teenagers responsible enough to live alone & im sure Dragonfly will agree.
Maybe i should of been more specific. The majority of teenagers that the council are housing seem to be ones that have been in trouble with the police on several occasions, only appear to want a house so they can have endless parties & refuse to work.
surely the council should start looking into prospective tenants backgrounds eg if they have a criminal record, work records & getting references.
Human rights....................... we are in a society where people are willing to sue at the drop of a hat. If the council discriminate against people because they do not offer a house to someone because they are unemployed, bad news, have a criminal record ........ they can be taken to court so their hands are tied. With an abundance of 'no win. no fee' lawyers, you don't need to have a sound case in order to sue, just someone to shout your case loud enough.
What is the answer? I certainly don't know and I can't see things improving. :(
NickInTheNorth
13-Jun-07, 12:13
Councils do look into the background of tenants. But what does having a criminal record have to do with whether or not you should be allowed a roof over your head?
What chance does a 16 year old have of having a work record?
Who is going to supply references?
I notice that in an earlier post you were wondering what impact these kids would have on the value of your house - what has that got to do with providing housing to someone?
If they are actually doing something illegal report it, don't just come and whine about it on here.
If they really are as bad as you say then report them, some good guidance here (http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/scotland/family_parent/housing_scotland/antisocial_behaviour_scotland.htm).
dragonfly
13-Jun-07, 12:50
Councils do look into the background of tenants. But what does having a criminal record have to do with whether or not you should be allowed a roof over your head?
What chance does a 16 year old have of having a work record?
Who is going to supply references?
I notice that in an earlier post you were wondering what impact these kids would have on the value of your house - what has that got to do with providing housing to someone?
If they are actually doing something illegal report it, don't just come and whine about it on here.
If they really are as bad as you say then report them, some good guidance here (http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/scotland/family_parent/housing_scotland/antisocial_behaviour_scotland.htm).
my 15 year old daughter has worked for over a year in a local hotel, working shifts starting at 6am and others finishing at 2am. she has never phoned in to say she can't make a shift and her employers are delighted with her and would gladly give her a reference when she starts looking for fulltime work.
I do report everything that goes on but the police are limited in what they can do. I was supposed to be going to court as a witness to these tenants smashing a neighbours windows - the case was dropped some some unknown reason!!
I log every incident that I am aware of so as I can hopefully get an ASBO issued.
I wonder how you would feel if the person you caught trying to break into your house in the middle of the night tried intimidating you by standing at your garden fence watching your every move and spitting into your property, giving you the V's and coming out with comments about you getting him put into prison?????? So until you live in my shoes please do not tell me not to whine about it
im not saying that if you have a criminal record you dont deserve a house!
but there should be some restrictions, maybe a short term rent period & if they are good tenants extend it to a long term rent.
as for references they can get them from school teachers,upstanding members of the community, same as the rest of us do.
the council tend to put the bad tenants all together this is what i was refering to with having an impact on house prices, noone wants to live near a street full of people constantly having parties etc.
no nick im not having a whine! just bringing up a topic I thought others might have feelings on.
like dragonfly ive also reported incidents when my property has been damaged the reply i got "claim on you insurance!"
j4bberw0ck
13-Jun-07, 13:13
I notice that in an earlier post you were wondering what impact these kids would have on the value of your house - what has that got to do with providing housing to someone?
Everything. No neighbour or near neighbour has the moral right to do anything which would tend to affect the value of your house if you came to sell it, or your "quiet enjoyment" of it while you live there.
The problem is that it isn't enforced that way. As for teenagers getting council houses, in principle I can't see anything wrong unless they've used pregnancy or homelessness to jump a waiting list. And so long as they (and for that matter all tenants) understand that if they interfere with the "quiet enjoyment" of their neighbours, they're out on their ears. Simplifying the process of eviction would be a great help.
When I was 16 I went and got a job and flat and paid for it myself. I didn't rely on the council to house me.
unless they've used pregnancy or homelessness to jump a waiting list. .
As opposed to being comfortable at home with their parents and being given one simply cos they feel like moving out?
I would rather they were housed because they had a genuine need for housing like homelessness or pregnancy, than were simply given a place cos they wanted one.
In Fife, the council take a tough line with problem households:
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/06/13/newsstory9849447t0.asp
"The property was closed on Monday and will remain closed until mid-August under legislation that allows police and local authorities to take action against premises which cause significant and persistent or serious nuisance to a com- munity."
I think people can even be turfed out of their own property, for a while if they are bad neighbours.
If bad council house neighbours are a problem in Caithness, perhaps the Highland Council should make an example of some of the problem council tenants in its area, thereby sending out a message to other potential bad neighbours.
j4bberw0ck
13-Jun-07, 21:20
As opposed to being comfortable at home with their parents and being given one simply cos they feel like moving out?
I would rather they were housed because they had a genuine need for housing like homelessness or pregnancy, than were simply given a place cos they wanted one.
I see what you're getting at but I said "used pregnancy or homelessness....etc". Frankly I think they and their baby would be much better off being looked after by their own family, where such a thing were possible. Apart from anything else one might say that some of the teenagers you see round pushing pushchair probably shouldn't be in sole control of a baby.
I cannot see that it's right that just because someone wants to leave home, they should get a council house.
Human rights....... With an abundance of 'no win. no fee' lawyers, you don't need to have a sound case in order to sue, just someone to shout your case loud enough.
. :(
You don't believe the adverts do you? These "No Win - No Fee" lawyers only take on cases that have a "sound case". - they're not daft.
Well society seems to think it is ok for teenagers:
to marry
to have kids
to drink
to smoke
to work
to pay taxes
So perhaps before we say they are not responsible enough to have their own house we should look at all of the above?
Some teenagers are irresponsible, but who taught them to be that way?
Some adults are irresponsible, why is that?
There are teenagers all over the UK making a very good job of bringing themselves up, making themselves very responsible and well behaved adults, despite all the obstacles thrown in their way by our caring and helpful society. So give them a break. Don't criticise, offer help. It may well be rejected, but you could just make a huge difference to some very troubled kids.
Well society seems to think it is ok for teenagers:
to marry - a piece of paper that "legalises" their co-habitation (which we can't stop)
to have kids - Can't stop that either
to drink - Not sure where the "responsibility" is in this one
to smoke - ... or this one
to work - Sure - why not?
to pay taxes - Part of working and living.
...... and we certainly don't object to them to "have their own house", but the question is - are they RESPONSIBLE enough to actually run a household?
In the council's favour - once they house a few single teenagers in one block of flats........... who else accepts a flat in that block................ apart from teens in the same situation??
Are they responsible enough? Well I don't deny there are some young people who can look after themselves and their tenancy without any problems.
In my experience though I have come accross a lot of them who have wrecked their houses and end up owing thousands to housing.
Most of the time it's been quite vulnerable people and they end up with folk coming in for parties, getting drunk, writing on the walls and big holes in the plasterboard.
They don't have the life skills to cope with things like emptying wheelie bins, they get themselves puppies and don't clear up the mess in the garden and don't seem to worry what state the house is in.
A lot of these young people have been in care or are in families that tell them as soon as your 16 your out, even on the day of their 16th birthday!
Lots of the time these things still happen even if they have a support worker because a couple of visits a week isn't enough.
We could do with a young person's hostel or an agency like the Calman Trust.
jokes aside, the 16 year old that lived besides me , a mental institution springs to mind,
then again NO, HE WOULD LIKELY AFFECT THE POOR SODS IN THERE THAT WERE GETTING BETTER.
Personally I think that if you are 'given' something as oposed to earning it for yourself then you tend to have less respect for it IMHO
Personally I think that if you are 'given' something as oposed to earning it for yourself then you tend to have less respect for it IMHO
You echo my sentiments exactly.
Is anti-social behaviour in neighbours confined only to teenagers? I can think of many adults, including some who are "hard working", who I would not wish to live within a mile of.
Of course, "Teenagers" are easy targets aren't they so lets just pick on them!
My statement above applies to eveyone. I too know many 'Adults' who act in a disrespectful way that I wouldnt want to live near.
My daughter age 17 went to uni my son to college both had to live alone and pay their way and managed fine.
both have now qualified and have been in privately rented accomodation all this time. There are no council houses where they are . Id love to see more houses being built so they could both get homes one is in edinburgh one in inverness. they are now in their 20s and unless you are homeless or pregnant you havent got a hope of getting a council house.
Its wrong!
and before anyone asks they cant afford a mortgage . prices are silly. they need cheap affordable housing and not one bedroom stuff either . as I hope if they could afford to buy they might start a family one day. I was young once too as were all of us and prices were never so ridiculous!
My daughter age 17 went to uni my son to college both had to live alone and pay their way and managed fine.
both have now qualified and have been in privately rented accomodation all this time. There are no council houses where they are . Id love to see more houses being built so they could both get homes one is in edinburgh one in inverness. they are now in their 20s and unless you are homeless or pregnant you havent got a hope of getting a council house.
Its wrong!
and before anyone asks they cant afford a mortgage . prices are silly. they need cheap affordable housing and not one bedroom stuff either . as I hope if they could afford to buy they might start a family one day. I was young once too as were all of us and prices were never so ridiculous!
You are so right there Jean - the vast majority of council properties in Edinburgh go to homeless people. When they are genuinely deserving, I have no problem with that, whatever their age, but there are now just not enough council/housing association houses to meet demand, by a long, long way.
There isn't even a waiting list here any more for "homeseekers", we have a bidding system, and it's not uncommon to see 200 bids for one property, which then most often goes to an "urgent" case anyway.
My 3 adult children, all well qualified and gainfully employed, are renting privately in three different Scottish cities and have no hope of being able to buy anything in the foreseeable future, or more realistically, at all.
Especially as private rentals for even very modest one bedroom flats are £500+ per month (as against around £250 for a council equivalent) so saving is not easy.
On the subject of bad neighbours, the worst we ever had, whose behaviour drove us to move house (after complaining over and over to the police), was neither a teenager, or unemployed, or a council tenant. [evil]
I think these people have less respect for the property when there not actually paying for it either. there unemployed so the social pay the rent!
You don't believe the adverts do you? These "No Win - No Fee" lawyers only take on cases that have a "sound case". - they're not daft.
Sorry, I meant a case that deserved to be won rather than a case that could be won.
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