thoughts, opinions, pros & cons of living in a development consisting mainly of AH?

U

uzami

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I am a first time buyer and am looking at an appartment in a new development. As part of this development there are only a handful of units available to the general public, the remainder (approx 100 units) are all affordable housing.

Can people give their thoughts and opinions, pros & cons, of living in a development consisting mainly of affordable housing?
 
Re: Living next to Affordable Housing

You might find some useful feedback among .
 
Re: Living next to Affordable Housing

Hi Uzami,

I live in a development which was permitted under the ratio 40% social and affordable housing to 60% private ownership. It sounded great at the start and it meant that the houses were cheaper to purchase, we thought we got a great deal! What the local authority never factored was the fact that because the private houses were such good value, meant that many property investors bought into the estate also. Our estate is now 40% social and affordable housing, 30% private rented accommodation and 30% private owner occupiers. This has resulted in a huge amount of social problems in our estate in comparison to other new build estates in our area, particularly as the houses were originally so cheap to purchase, the rent is quite low, and the majority of occupants are on welfare benefits etc.

Please don't feel that I'm against integrated social housing, not at all. I know of several estates where it has been very successful. However the unusually high ratio, and the low house prices in our estate have been a very potent factor in creating social difficulties for us. Typical social problems on a daily basis (as witnessed in the past week):

One car had it's windows smashed and tyres slashed on Saturday night in retaliation for anti social behaviour from one family to another.

2 cars today had windows smashed by young kids messing about - Gardai were called, kids are underage, nothing can be done.

Non-national teenager frogmarched down to the local garda station for threatening his next door neighbour violently. Formal warning issued - third time in a month this family have been down the station for various reasons.

Plants in 3 gardens uprooted, kids bikes "borrowed", teenagers joyriding around the estate - I could go on and on

On the other hand, the community spirit been those of us who do try to live in peace is great. I know I can call on a huge number of neighbours for help, and vice versa. The houses are well constructed and I don't think I would consider moving, on a principle maybe but I don't see why I should be forced out of my home!
 
Re: Living next to Affordable Housing

Mo3art, do you think the problems in the estate are due to the social and affordable housing, or the private rented housing where the rent is low?

I'm not sure whether the OP meant specifically the Affordable Housing scheme, or all social housing?
 
Re: Living next to Affordable Housing

uzami said:
I am a first time buyer and am looking at an appartment in a new development. As part of this development there are only a handful of units available to the general public, the remainder (approx 100 units) are all affordable housing.

Can people give their thoughts and opinions, pros & cons, of living in a development consisting mainly of affordable housing?
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I wouldnt buy one anyways, if you have a choice buy somewhere else. From a re-sale point of view it might cause you a problem if the place turns into a kip. And I would say the higher proportion of affodable housing = higher risk of that happening. thats scientifically proven of course.
 
Re: Living next to Affordable Housing

SteelBlue05 said:
And I would say the higher proportion of affodable housing = higher risk of that happening. thats scientifically proven of course.
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Can you point to some scientific proof of this so?
 
Re: Living next to Affordable Housing

ClubMan said:
Can you point to some scientific proof of this so?
Click to expand...

I should have added a ;) to that statement (i.e. humour)
 
Re: Living next to Affordable Housing

Hi AnnR, I think that the problem is the combination of the two. I think if there was a smaller proportion of both it would be much less disruptive. Socially speaking, a large amount of disadvantaged people living in the one area does lead to social problems.
Ballymun......Kilbarrack..........Tallaght..................
 
Re: Living next to Affordable Housing

I just wonder how much of the "social and affordable housing" you mention is the Affordable Housing scheme and the Shared ownership scheme and how much is welfare housing (not sure of the exact phrase)? A lot of people seem to have a sort of bias against the former schemes and I think they're completely wrong.

I'm not saying you do, it's just your post doesn't clarify whether you're referring to those schemes specifically and therefore if you think those schemes are for 'socially disadvantaged' people.
 
Re: Living next to Affordable Housing

AFAIK only a small proportion of the housing in my estate is allocated to shared ownership and affordable housing as set out by the local authority. The other is council housing, which is allocated to the housing list and is wholly owned by the council.
 
Re: Living next to Affordable Housing

@Mo3art Look to the council housing and private accomadation rented to the health board for the source of your problems. People in affordable or shared ownership housing are just like you paying a mortgage, holding down a job and trying to make ends meet. No worse, no better than people who buy ordinary houses these days, they just have less money in their pocket.
The council housing is there for other people including those who are generally decent and need housing but also for riff-raff who decide not to contribute to society or the down right anti-social that have been thrown out of other council estates.
Identify which house is which. Work with the housing department in your County Council. If the problem is with council housing get the occupants moved on. If the problem is with private rented accomodation go to the land registry, find out who owns the house and ask them not to renew the lease with the troublesome tenants.
Form a residents association; You're there for the long run. Build a strategy and build a nice housing development for yourself.
 
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