House prices / Housing Shortage

[rad93]

I've been on the housing list for four years now but I've only been looking for a house for the past 7 months. Me and my partner are desperately trying to look for a 2 bedroom house in town to raise our 4 year old son but unfortunately its impossible as we cant spend more than £700 on a property. My son starts school after the summer and I work part time in lerwick. Its become increasingly difficult to look for a house these days. Me and my son are living with my family at the moment but unfortunately the house is quite overcrowded and there's not much room for us. I've even spoken to hjaltland but unfortunately all they said was "the highest points gets the property" which means I'm unlikely to get a house since I have barely any points. Just want somewhere where I can raise my little boy and finally be happy!

 

The housing system is quite unfair and private rented houses are just too expensive at the moment

[Colin]

I've been on the housing list for four years now but I've only been looking for a house for the past 7 months. Me and my partner are desperately trying to look for a 2 bedroom house in town to raise our 4 year old son but unfortunately its impossible as we cant spend more than £700 on a property. My son starts school after the summer and I work part time in lerwick. Its become increasingly difficult to look for a house these days. Me and my son are living with my family at the moment but unfortunately the house is quite overcrowded and there's not much room for us. I've even spoken to hjaltland but unfortunately all they said was "the highest points gets the property" which means I'm unlikely to get a house since I have barely any points. Just want somewhere where I can raise my little boy and finally be happy!

 

The housing system is quite unfair and private rented houses are just too expensive at the moment

 

Get yourself a certified drug habit or, alcohol proble.  No bother after that...

[rad93]

That seems to be the only way to get a house quickly these days! It's not fair at all

[paulb]

if your desperate move work in most of the islands. and to raise kids much nicer. if your dead set on lerwick well to be honest your stuffed.

Location   Unst

General Needs

• Brakefield Crescent, Haroldswick- 3 bedroom
• Brucehall Terrace , Uyeasound - 3 bedroom
• Millburn Park, Baltasound - 3 bedroom
• Springpark Road, Baltasound - 3 bedroom

Fetlar

General Needs

• Stakkafletts - 3 bedrooms

Sheltered Accommodation

• Stakkafletts - 1 bedroom
• Stakkafletts - 2 bedroom

Whalsay

General Needs

• Tripwell, Brough - 3 bedroom

Sheltered Accommodation

• Tripwell, Brough - 1 bedroom
• Harlsdale, Symbister - 1 bedroom

Yell

General Needs

• Greenbank Terrace, Cullivoe - 3 bedroom
•  

[Ghostrider]

Get yourself a certified drug habit or, alcohol proble.  No bother after that...

 

Or a criminal record, that seems to work wonders, especially if you do time. In fact, it seems if you don't have any of the three, they're doing much to subtly "encourage" you to leave social housing, assumedly so they can house yet more junkies, alkies and those of "concerning" character. Is there a Government Grant to SIC Housing for every misfit they house, and none for housing regular folk, or something?

[paulb]

thats both untrue and insulting to people in social housing. obviously needs need to be met. an hostel would be better for folks needing support to recover from addiction.  what would  help is if secondary tenancies were banned. also empty council homes must be lived in not just left empty for people to return to. conditional tenancies could be applied more to those with social problems.

[Suffererof1crankymofo]

Controversial, but if rents were means-tested, I wonder how many people would decide to move out of social housing.

[Ghostrider]

thats both untrue and insulting to people in social housing. obviously needs need to be met. an hostel would be better for folks needing support to recover from addiction.  what would  help is if secondary tenancies were banned.

 

Is it? As I said, for my sins I've lived for 16 years in a Council estate, and while there's any number of "good" people in some of the houses, I've seen many, many more come, and go from the rest, and know full well why. And no, no "secondary tenancies" were involved, in fact any secondary tenancies which have been, have actually held some of the least problematic folk.

 

Go to SIC Housing as a "regular" "homeless" applicant and they'll very likely dump you just about anywhere, where you'll stay for up to three years waiting to be offered anything permanent, but start collecting a criminal record and suddenly you'll get pretty much whatever house you want in whatever area you want within weeks. Seen it happen far too many times for it to be "coincidence".

 

I'll agree with you that for folk with issues, a supported hostel setting would probbly be better all round. We had one, that seemed to work at least okay, but "those who think they know better" decided to do away with it, and ever since they've been dumping people better suited to such a place, willy nilly among the rest of us to have to put up with whatever they get up to when left alone to do the best they can.

[neepjelly]

Difficult situation, but this seems like voluntary homelessness. Cheaper rents are available out of town or for smaller properties/shares, and that b&b will be costing the taxpayer at least £1800 a month. I believe emergency accommodation/b&bs should be reserved for the most needy.

 

How is it voluntary if i received a notice to quit for today?

 

Had i not had the b&b arranged I don't know what I would have done tonight. 

 

Yes i have family and friends, but i don't think i'm their problem. 

[neepjelly]

 

Plenty of jobs aye being advertised in rural schools/care centres/fish factories in places like Yell, Unst and Whalsay for anybody inclined to want to live there/do that kind of work. Council houses in those areas are frequently on the 'areas of low demand' list on the SIC website too.

I agree with you there but da lass maybe wants to keep her current job. However I don't fully get why she needs to stay in Lerwick to work at the Gas Plant? With the sheer multitude of vehicles going there every day (as well as SVT and Sellaness where the site bus leaves from) I am sure she would be able to sort herself a lift to Sellaness with somebody?

 

 

Currently I get a bus at 5.45am every morning from the barge. This is a lift I can rely on. If I was living elsewhere I'd have to rely on other folk, and people work different rotations etc. it's just a hassle and I don't want to be worrying every day how I'm going to get to work. 

[neepjelly]

 

 

 

The council keep asking me to look into private rent..

 

Thats the best piece of advice I've heard come out of the Housing Office.

 

Unless of course a mediocre property and mediocre service, delivered with patronising dictatorial arrogance, backed up by jumped to conclusions based on nothing but their own prejudices and fantasies is what a person expects from a landlord, especially a social one. Then I'm sure being with them instead of a private let would be just swell.

 

If I could by any means afford private rent I would Ghostrider!

 

But it's utterly impossible unless you're earning silly bucks. 

 

Unfortunately my the only option I can afford is of the "mediocre property and mediocre service, delivered with patronising dictatorial arrogance"  variety.

 

I'm a young, hard working girl who's found herself in hardship and I needed a platform to vent my frustration at the system. You're being very condensing, all in all quite nasty towards me, and there's really no need. Actions of a bully.

Neepjelly, obviously your under pressure just now, but read ghosties post again, at no time was he having a go at you, he was clearly hitting out at the housing department, with whom he's had some experience.

 

I feel for young people today, who are struggling to find somewhere to live at a reasonable price. It can't be easy and I understand this must be a worrying time for you. I do hope you manage to find something suitable.

 

 

Ghostrider i owe you and apology, I misread your comment and jumped to conclusions. 

[tooney1]

How is it voluntary if i received a notice to quit for today?

 

Had i not had the b&b arranged I don't know what I would have done tonight. 

 

Yes i have family and friends, but i don't think i'm their problem. 

 

 

Most short assured tenancies give you a 1 or (more usually) 2 month notice period, which is considered a fair enough amount of time to find somewhere else in the private sector, and I assume this is what you've been given?

 

By refusing to compromise and consider outside of Lerwick, or look at a smaller property, you are effectively making yourself homeless. This shouldn't be the council's problem and they aren't obligated to house you in your desired area/house size in such circumstances.

Edited June 8, 2015 by tooney1

[Ghostrider]

 Ghostrider i owe you and apology, I misread your comment and jumped to conclusions. 

 

No worries, no harm done.

[paulb]

if you do have family you could stay with you could save a deposit. you could be assisting family as well by sharing bills. with bedroom tax ect cutting folks on benefits money you may find a room.   

[neepjelly]

 

How is it voluntary if i received a notice to quit for today?

 

Had i not had the b&b arranged I don't know what I would have done tonight. 

 

Yes i have family and friends, but i don't think i'm their problem. 

 

 

Most short assured tenancies give you a 1 or (more usually) 2 month notice period, which is considered a fair enough amount of time to find somewhere else in the private sector, and I assume this is what you've been given?

 

By refusing to compromise and consider outside of Lerwick, or look at a smaller property, you are effectively making yourself homeless. This shouldn't be the council's problem and they aren't obligated to house you in your desired area/house size in such circumstances.

 

 

I received 2 months notice and immediately got myself on the council list and began searching for private rental, however.. as stated all over this website, it's far to expensive to consider. I'm going to hazard a guess and say you're not willing to pay £1000 + a month for rent? Well, neither am I... it's completely unrealistic. 

I'm not refusing to compromise. I don't drive, and can't rely on someone to get me to work as everyone works different rotations. On my housing form I'm willing to accept any size of property at present, because at the moment I'm in a b&b and my belongings are spread far and wide across Shetland. It's easy to make assumptions when you're not in the position of someone else, and people should maybe take that into consideration when writing their comments. I have all number of reasons for staying in Lerwick and don't owe anyone a justification for that. 

The council look into your case to make sure you are not "making yourself homeless" and they did not feel this was the case. My case is a particularly popular one at the moment as rent prices are soaring and landlords see this as a business opportunity, tenants are getting their notice to quit, and have no other option but to approach the council.