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Give Us A Chance?


neepjelly
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I'm 20, and trying to find a house with my boyfriend... this is proving more difficult than expected.

We both have secure jobs and have lived here most of our lives, moving away only to go to college.

If we were applying for housing with Hjatland there's no way we could get anything remotely close to Lerwick, Scalloway or Tingwall (which is where we'd like to move). Even getting houses further away proves difficult.

And looking at private rental is proving just as difficult. For example one bedroom flats going for £1000 a month!

It's no wonder more and more young people are leaving the isle... they can't find anywhere to live up here!

People are getting just a bit to greedy. I can understand why they're charging so much, I probably would myself given the opportunity... but somebody needs to give us young ones a chance.

 

Rant over.

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What was already an unfair situation where decent, hard working men and women were left at the bottom of the housing list because of rules that favour the unemployed, "homeless", baby on the way etc has been made 100 times worse with the oil boom.

 

I passed through the brand new scheme up at Hoofields the other day only to see the carcass of a fire extinguisher that had been flung out and abandoned on the grass.  Explain that to me.......  :roll:

 

I personally feel that  the landlords should be hanging their heads in shame at what they're doing.   

 

On a similar note I heard a local house builder say on Radio Shetland the other night that the SIC's land plans for future developments is an utter shambles so even the local housebuilders seem to be exasperated.

 

It's just a fact of life in Shetland but people are wanting to live in or as close to Lerwick as they can but nothing is being done about it.  A few "social" houses at Hooflelds isn't addressing the issue.

 

The SIC has no development plan for Lerwick which given the desperate situation is a disgrace.

 

Indeed, the SIC Planning Department seems more interested in hindering than helping...... 

Edited by Kavi Ugl
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You could try buying a house. All you have to do is get the bank to give you a decent mortgage... which, in these current conditions is pretty much impossible for a first time buyer on a normal income. Then find a house for sale at a reasonable price...again, impossible, since too many folk with money are buying up all the property to rent it out to petrofac etc.. 

 

Have you considered getting knocked up and then 'dumping' your boyfriend? Make sure you get sacked first, then you should be in a house in no time. Oh, might be worth getting some sort of addiction on the go as well. Every little helps....  ;-)

 

Ok, I'm being a bit facetious here... But I agree, it's really difficult for folk (young and even not-so-young) to find a place to stay these days. I'm totally in favor of support for the homeless and those in need, but handing out accommodation to long-term unemployed that's better than what most employed people can afford seems a bit unfair and counter productive. 

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I totally agree. The housing system on this island is shambolic to say the least, however, I'm not sure of the housing situation in any other part of Scotland so i honestly don't have much to compare it to.

 

Me & my partner have both grown up on the island and don't want to leave. We both have good-paid & stable jobs, a bit of money behind us, and are both in our early 20's - so this is the perfect chance for us to leave home. Impossible. I've been on the housing list for a long time, and cannot get a house in the area that we're both from.. BUT.. someone who has just come out of prison or has jumped off the Northlink and says their homeless gets a house at the drop of a hat. Pretty unfair in my eyes.

 

We have been to the bank, as we got a good chance of building a house. But no bank in Shetland will allow first-time buyers to get a self-build mortgage.

 

What are we meant to do? If we can't get a council house, can't get a mortgage for a self-build and can't even buy a house as people with a lot of money are snapping them up to let to contracters for a lot of money (understandable really, as there's good money to be made)

 

The whole housing system in Shetland needs looked at and changed. I can't provide the answers to this problem, but I do know that with a growing population on the island, it's only going to get worse. Something needs done, and quickly.

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Welcome to the real world where, if you are an alcoholic, drug addict, baby farm, ex con, feckless and workshy  or have otherwise managed to become somebody in 'officialdoms' Client(?), then the whole system is engaged in your favour and you will recieve loads of money(?), a house to live in, the expensive attentions of a group of social workers and, be the subject of many meetings by them.

At the same time, you will be able to continue getting drunk, jacking up, having babies and avoiding any job that's offered.  Alll at the public's expense.

 

On the other hand, if you are a decent, hard working, upstanding member of what is left of society, then you become one of the fed up mugs who has to pay for all of the above.

 

If you are forced to rent privately, then you will have to pay so much that you will stand almost no chance of ever being able to save enough to buy your own place. 

 

Answers, I have a few but, most of them are so radical(?) that I would be instantly shouted down by the PC brigade.

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If you lived anywhere else in this country the last thing you would want is social housing.(Try living in PAISLEY) Social Housing IS for da Dungheads dat rut, inject, claim & pleeps. If you are hardworking and awesome, you have your turd together. You can look after yourself. It isna da States job to provide those that are able with housing. It's for those dat irna. Wise up.

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There is a squeeze on social housing, a recent enqirey revealed that there ar over 500 folk waiting on the list for a single occupancy unit. It has little to do with the problems some seem to think there are, they are, very small in comparison to those who, with Shetland social housing stock live in houses larger that they need but can afford the rent and those who sub-let. The reasons Colin gives sound similar to the reasons the GOV give as to the problems of the country, which is rubbish and totally misleading. Until more housing is built, and in significant numbers the worse it will become, so I guess two working folk will be at the bottom of the list when there are the homeless, disabled, those paying the bedroom tax, special needs and vunerable are more of a priority. You will just have to wait, or take what ever is offered.

Kavi, as ever, you are wrong. S.I.C. do have a development framework, go find out. After all, you have all had the chance to comment on it and the GOV have to approve it.

Edited by shetlandpeat
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Hi,

 

 While I agree and do symapthise with you to a certain extent, your sitution is common to people all over the world. I'm sure there are many people who grew up in or around inner city london,edinburgh etc and would love to rent there but can't, for the very same reason you and your partner can't - workers and companies from outside are coming in and pushing the prices up way out of your range. Its not right but with the social/political system that is currently in place thats all we have. My partner and I have recently moved to shetland and while we would have liked to rent in Lerwick like yourself we have instead opted to move to the Westside of Mainland as I refuse to pay the prohibitive rents . Would or you be willing to move to a more rural area and if not would you, like many people in the UK and worldwide be will to migrate in order to improve your lot?

 

Just my thoughts and by no means a criticism.

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There is a squeeze on social housing, a recent enqirey revealed that there ar over 500 folk waiting on the list for a single occupancy unit. It has little to do with the problems some seem to think there are, they are, very small in comparison to those who, with Shetland social housing stock live in houses larger that they need but can afford the rent and those who sub-let. The reasons Colin gives sound similar to the reasons the GOV give as to the problems of the country, which is rubbish and totally misleading. Until more housing is built, and in significant numbers the worse it will become, so I guess two working folk will be at the bottom of the list when there are the homeless, disabled, those paying the bedroom tax, special needs and vunerable are more of a priority. You will just have to wait, or take what ever is offered.

Kavi, as ever, you are wrong. S.I.C. do have a development framework, go find out. After all, you have all had the chance to comment on it and the GOV have to approve it.

What were the 'reasons' I posted?  Seems to me that I just posted a personal opinion but, just what is 'rubbish' and 'totally misleading' about what I said?

I know working people who have been waiting for a Council House (I REFUSE to call it Social Housing because that is just another way of forcing acceptance of the way the system(?) has been hijacked) for more than 15 years.  At the same time I see people who contribute nothing to society get housed almost immediately.  Where is the justice in that and, just how long will the working population be prepared to put up with such inequality?

I know that there is not enough housing available in this country and the blame for that is due to Thatchers enforced moratorium on council house building (NOT on the 'right to buy') but to ramble on about the needs of the 'disabled', 'special needs' and those who pay(?) the 'bedroom tax' (nobody 'pays' bedroom tax, it's a deduction from your benefits ) misses the point of what I posted.  "that there are people who seem to gravitate towards the top of the points system who, in my opinion, do not deserve to be there".

Better to allocate what limited accommodation is available to those who are working and contributing towards society.  Look after the rest when you can.

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'You can look after yourself. It isna da States job to provide those that are able with housing. It's for those dat irna. Wise up.'

 

So what are people like me meant to do then?

 

Why should I be paying for a heroin addict to have a 3 bedroomed house, when I can't even get one myself? Is it my fault he/she chose to take heroin? Is it my fault he/she doesn't have any qualifications and doesn't have job? No. These people aren't 'able' because of their own doing, and the decisions they made. I don't pay my taxes so someone can live off of me working, and can be housed before I can.

 

If you gave them nothing they would have to fend for themselves, just like me, and plenty of others, are trying to do and then we would see a difference. If you hand someone something good on a plate, why wouldn't they take it?

 

I have a stable job, and could afford to pay my rent, council tax and all the rest of the bills that come with having a house every month. But I'm not rich. Even to buy a house, I could not afford to pay over the odds, like some people are doing to rent out to the contractors who are moving up.

 

How can anyone say that drug addicts deserve houses more than working people? Absolute joke.

 

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Shetlandpeat please point out where the hell is cheap social housing in Shetland. I used to stay in council housing before I got my own house , the rent I paid was more than some people were paying in fairly big mortages. Shetland council rents are some of the worst in the country..

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shetlandpeat, you are a patronisng old fart.  I think you'll find I'm not "as ever, are wrong""......

 

I did try to find out about it and got nowhere. 

 

The Lerwick Communtiy Council voted during an open meeting last winter that the current house development proposals are a shambles and failure in relation to Lerwick. 

 

Colin in his first post hit the nail on the absolute head - and we can see the evidence of it walking the streets of Lerwick every day.

Edited by Kavi Ugl
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Found this Kavi.

 

http://www.shetland.gov.uk/planning/LocalDevelopmentPlan.asp

 

It was really hard to find and took me about 20 seconds. It does mean that this statement you made.

 

 


 

The SIC has no development plan for Lerwick which given the desperate situation is a disgrace.

 

Is wrong.

 

Amazing that all the problems of social housing can be atributed to such a few people, why do you not do an FOI and get the facts on the number of folk who claim Housing Benefits, you may then find many are just poor and old or in care.

 

Shetlandpeat please point out where the hell is cheap social housing in Shetland. I used to stay in council housing before I got my own house , the rent I paid was more than some people were paying in fairly big mortages. Shetland council rents are some of the worst in the country..

 

The comparison between social housing rates and private landlords is that the latter is more expensive. Also on your note, the OP should then contact you to find out where these mortgages are that are cheaper than social housing rents. Social housing has cheap rents when compared to the private market.

What makes social housing more expensive than other areas perhaps is the £40,000,000 SIC are trying to get of the GOV. I would like to see these examples of large mortgages being cheaper than social housing rents. The OP should look too.

 

I did find a double room in Lerwick for just under £400.

 

 

 

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Ok, I admit I was wrong on an overall development plan but to be fair those plans have emerged(2012) a year or two after I made a personal enquiry about where I could build a house in Lerwick. 

 

And I must say that at that time I recieved nothing but total vagueness with no help at all.

 

Yes, the SIC have identified land but why are they not doing more to help the issue?.  What they could be doing is bringing themselves, the land owners and people who would like to build a house in Lerwick together to start developing an area. 

 

That  is what I would like to see and that to me would be a real development plan.

Edited by Kavi Ugl
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