Comments on: Council housing for the 21st Century

By: Michael Edwards

Michael Edwards — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:24:52 +0000

Truly excellent and timely campaign. We are in good company with others in NW Europe who are getting organised to recover their municipal housing traditions or to move closer towards council or other forms of democratic housing. Fine swiss and Austrian examples too. The case for this is overwhelming. Talk prepared for a german audience is on my blog and I would value comments. Michael

By: David Flint

David Flint — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:39:07 +0000

What’s the policy? To build more - but how many more? How fast? Just being pro Council Housing isn’t a policy!

By: Alan Davidson

Alan Davidson — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:53:18 +0000

If the government would permit councils the same financial facillities as housing associations, there would be no need whatsoever for there to be a shortage of truly affordable homes. Grants are available to support the construction of environmentally friendly homes, councils are more likely to follow this route than private developers in the current financial climate.

By: simon canning

simon canning — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:39:10 +0000

most social housing is still poorly designed, imprivate, inpersonal and expensive to heat/clean as a result of the poor design.

this does not help homelessness. it just keeps the people off the streets as such.

By: simon canning

simon canning — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:19:41 +0000

this is fine, providing the quality of insulation (sound proofing, heat-proofing and “feel”) is good.

otherwise the same old problems will appear.

By: simon canning

simon canning — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:16:49 +0000

The middle classes in this country have all assumed they are the only ones who want more than what they paid for for their housing. They have not paid attention to the fact that there is no code-of-conduct or design rule to housing, either for rent or purchase. They have not argued for it (as it would lower housing that is known to be bad quality). This self-centered approach has created all of our housing problems.

Basically, if they don’t like it, tough.

By: simon canning

simon canning — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:14:29 +0000

It worked well in Germany!

By: simon canning

simon canning — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:12:51 +0000

The original german system was nearly 100% social housing. Funnily enough, the right-to-buy (or a similar system) was introduced when the Berlin wall came down and soviet control was lost. Of course the soviet side was full of incredibly badly designed housing (almost identical to the social housing that is left in britain). Social problems from social housing dwellers only started to build up in the old soviet sectors. This is what has happened to the UK system in my belief. People become the scapegoats of bad design.