The Student Room Group

Housing crisis or simply picky housing officers ?

Is their genuinely a housing crisis in some areas or just housing officiers acting like children , picking and choosing whom they want to house?

A friend had suffered two bouts of race hate crime for over 3 decades from tenants of three housing associations . Those three housing associations enabled everything that had happened. She has always been a good tenant, paid his rent worked ( only to lose everything due to having to move constantly), not before going through the complaints procedure and beyond. She has multiple evidences documenting all the incidents, but was constantly failed by these authority bodies.

After constant failings she was decided to leave, enduring finanical debt as she had to approach a loan company to assist wih the cost of removals and a temporary accommodation.


She eventually after 8 months ater found a 1 room via an acquaintance . At first she was looking to be placed in a large room after long and unpleasant communication was advised by the landlord that she only had a tiny room in a house filled with 5 males. As she was anxious to obtain a room, she agreed. It certainly been challenging- to say the least. In terms of hygiene, lack of use of facilities , multiple inconviences.

Seven months into her occupancy ( and grateful she had achieved the fact she no longer has connection with the racist area she endured years of harassment) she applied for housing in the area . Only thing was the area council is Notorious for (again) insititualised racism and it has been highly publicised. They had had been found guilty of assisting a death of a young child. To add fuel to the fire , two of the house associations who had her endure decades of intense hatred have become partners with this association and frequently advertise their properties via their website.

Prior to knowing this , she had registered with them and was given verylow banding. She was told before registering her application would be assessed on a case by case basis. Some of the evidence she endure she provided to them, only for them to give her a low banding.

She explained the difficulties faced in her current situation with not being able to cook, hygiene , etc but was gaslighted and had frequent request by the housing officer to be assessed by a medical professional, which I feel they are using as a way to gaslight her and stop her from obtaining housing.

Whenever she calls, they are abrupt and quick to jump at the only way they would look at changing the banding is if she were to seek a medical professional.

It is Notorious that housing associations use this methodi n order to abuse it , especially when it comes to people of the BAME community .

Where she lives is a dump, it is filled with drug addicts that are housed. She had worked all her life and was a professional, forcing to live in one room Simply because of the hypocrisy and system Racism that pollutes the country .

I do believe their is a housing crisis, however in certain areas that is not proper and a notoriously a slum, housing officers are deliberately picking and choosing whom they want to house and I think in her case the other associations have an influence on her not being rehoused . She spoke to someone who had basically alluded to the fact the association is still overlooking potential tenants because of race.

She is not in a financial position to rent a private flat or has a guarantour

I would like your thoughts on this .

Thanks

Reply 1

I guess a housing officer is one who allocates social housing. They may well be picky but given there are over a million people waiting for social housing, what do you think? However bad you think your friend has it, likely there are 10,000+ who are in a worse position.

And that is just social housing. Things are not much better in the private market either. Any gains we have had in terms of salary growth are immediately eaten up by housing inflation. Decision making in housing needs to stop being personal and based on a set of criteria. If a developer meets the criteria, they get permission. Simples. And we need to stop pandering to badgers and newts! They are everywhere and not in need of protection any more.

Reply 2

And we need to stop pandering to badgers and newts! They are everywhere and not in need of protection any more.

I need for you to explain exactly what you mean by this. I certainly hope you do not mean that members of the BAME community , who have contributed vastly to the country and whom have endured centuries of hatred and degradation shoild put up and shut up with continued to treated autrciously and chop it down to "that is the world is now" and so feel they are not entitled to housing.

This is clearly the society we live in, yet we are forced to continue ro contribute despite having to be abuse and lose in so many ways.

Also i do not appreciate suffering race hate for decades should be trivalised as your words come across. It is the same ingorance that cost a childs death because of an indivdual/institionalised govermental body. Until you have experienced it for over decades, besn effected , direct or indirectly ,you would not understand.

I do need for you to explain what you mean by your comments though .

I am also not taking away from the vulnerable people ie: drug addicts, but again there are so mucb emphasis on the fact that people who have issues such as these are housed ( and they are in their hundreds and thousands - certainly in the dump area where she lives ) but yet someone who does not have any drug or alcholol dependancies are shunded and put at the bottom if they are unemplpyed.

Yet housing officiers claim to be selective in whom they house due to the lack of properties? Im confused 🤔
(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 3

When hotpud talks of badgers and newts they mean the literal animals, the legislation protecting them can really mess up new housing being built - it's not some new racist slur.

I'm not sure how much of this is driven by racism, institutional or personal, but association housing is a mess for pretty much everyone. I'm a white male but I'll still get fobbed off with the same slums and hostels, as far as I know the only way not to get instantly sent to the grim options is to have children or specific medical/access needs. The way a housing officer explained it to me years ago was that unless you have some sort of priority you will never get a decent house, because people with priorities are joining the housing list faster than properties become available so essentially you actually down the list, not up. So then you tell the housing officer that you're desperate because of XYZ and that's when you start getting shown the slums, hostels and bedsits that people don't want.

Sadly if you complain repeatedly to an organisation worker enough they will start to see you as a problem even if each and every complaint is justified, so to that officer coming to work everyday you might just become another part of the slums, addicts and assorted human misery, it's not hard to see how the job might make them a bit cold over time.

Reply 4

Original post by StriderHort
When hotpud talks of badgers and newts they mean the literal animals, the legislation protecting them can really mess up new housing being built - it's not some new racist slur.
I'm not sure how much of this is driven by racism, institutional or personal, but association housing is a mess for pretty much everyone. I'm a white male but I'll still get fobbed off with the same slums and hostels, as far as I know the only way not to get instantly sent to the grim options is to have children or specific medical/access needs. The way a housing officer explained it to me years ago was that unless you have some sort of priority you will never get a decent house, because people with priorities are joining the housing list faster than properties become available so essentially you actually down the list, not up. So then you tell the housing officer that you're desperate because of XYZ and that's when you start getting shown the slums, hostels and bedsits that people don't want.
Sadly if you complain repeatedly to an organisation worker enough they will start to see you as a problem even if each and every complaint is justified, so to that officer coming to work everyday you might just become another part of the slums, addicts and assorted human misery, it's not hard to see how the job might make them a bit cold over time.

Thank you for clarifying the previous posters comment.

I am not sure where you are located, but where my friend is , believe me, using the housing crisis is a part of a smoke screen they hide behind when they are being picky.

Like i said, their properties are less than desirable. They are absolute slums, so i cannot see how they can be consumed with fload gates of people blocking doors trying to get housing from them.

My friend also mentioned she was given the heads up that racism is also a major part. A LOT of the employees that was a large paritipate on the barrage of institional racism and whom partake and watch whilst the association watch the poor child die still works there . Once a culture such has that has been promoted for years, they become desensitised to humanity and it is evident.

I do not necessaroly believe that a child or medical health has any barely. The amount of people that fit into those categories. I know family with a child or twThank you for clarifying the previous posters comment.

I am not sure where you are located, but where my friend is , believe me, using the housing crisis is a part of a smoke screen they hide behind when they are being picky.

Like i said, their properties are less than desirable. They are absolute slums, so i cannot see how they can be consumed with fload gates of people blocking doors trying to get housing from them.

My friend also mentioned she was given the heads up that racism is also a major part. A LOT of the employees that was a large paritipate on the barrage of institional racism and whom partake and watch whilst the association watch the poor child die still works there . Once a culture such has that has been promoted for years, they become desensitised to humanity and it is evident.

I do not necessarily believe that a child or medical health has any baring. The amount of people that fit into those categories are significant. I personally know family with a child or two sharing in overcrowded accomodations and are told they have a roof over their heads , so not a priority. So all that is a myth.

The area she lives in has a high rate of drug, alcholics who have flats a, yet she is not eligable for housing🤔
(edited 3 months ago)
The criteria for being accommodated by a housing association is along the lines of:

Age: Be at least 18 years old, or 55 or older for sheltered housing

Income: Have a low income or limited savings

Housing need: Have a need for housing, such as overcrowding in your area or unsuitable accommodation

Local connection: Have lived in the area for a period of time, or work or have family there

Immigration status: Be able to apply for a council home based on your immigration status

Habitually resident: If you've moved or returned to the UK in the last two years, you'll usually need to show you're habitually resident

No refusals: Not have refused a suitable accommodation offer or nomination within the last two years


How many does your friend meet? If she was working, and had done for a long time, why did she qualify for a housing association; why, as a professional, didn't she private rent or look at buying?

Reply 6

Because like so many people of colour those pig employers would constantly take advantage when it came to their salaries.

My friend thought that if she cibtinued to build her portoflio, by the time she would be able to purchase her owb place. Sadly it did not work out that way. She has learnt a lot and now a lost less tolerate abd demands what she desires from potiental employers and they know where they can go if they choose to offer her chop chain

As for


"Housing need: Have a need for housing, such as overcrowding in your area or unsuitable accommodation"

She lives with 5 men, whereby their is constant struggles to get the bathroom and they constantly leave the toilet as a doo doo hole ( lietrally). What do you think 🤔

Not to mentioj alk the other incidences , like a foteign guy who recebtly moved him indecency exposed himself, whikst beinf violent and agressive towards her 😡

Like i said , i think the associationis cherry picking and because they have a bad reputation when it cames to black people , they are continuing to practise that racist retertic.. someobe she spoke to recently confirmed that too..

She was also told that someone of her bsnding was given a priorty. Yet whenever she calls she is told . She will have to wait from here to sundry🤔

Other criterias she meets is

Local Connection - lived there for 2 years

Low income


My question is also why allow her to register if they are bssically playing cat ahd mouse with her housing? Sick kick, possibly ?
(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 7

Original post by Afua1
And we need to stop pandering to badgers and newts! They are everywhere and not in need of protection any more.
I need for you to explain exactly what you mean by this. I certainly hope you do not mean that members of the BAME community , who have contributed vastly to the country and whom have endured centuries of hatred and degradation shoild put up and shut up with continued to treated autrciously and chop it down to "that is the world is now" and so feel they are not entitled to housing.
This is clearly the society we live in, yet we are forced to continue ro contribute despite having to be abuse and lose in so many ways.
Also i do not appreciate suffering race hate for decades should be trivalised as your words come across. It is the same ingorance that cost a childs death because of an indivdual/institionalised govermental body. Until you have experienced it for over decades, besn effected , direct or indirectly ,you would not understand.
I do need for you to explain what you mean by your comments though .
I am also not taking away from the vulnerable people ie: drug addicts, but again there are so mucb emphasis on the fact that people who have issues such as these are housed ( and they are in their hundreds and thousands - certainly in the dump area where she lives ) but yet someone who does not have any drug or alcholol dependancies are shunded and put at the bottom if they are unemplpyed.
Yet housing officiers claim to be selective in whom they house due to the lack of properties? Im confused 🤔
No - I mean literally, badgers and newts, the animals. If they are found to be living on land destined for housing, you are looking at potentially tens, hundreds or even millions of pounds in mitigation measures, all for species which are neither rare or under threat of extinction.

Out planning laws are bonkers. You can object to housing being build on all manner of grounds many of which are not objective and entirely emotional. I remember seeing a program about a woman who wanted to have a driveway on her substantial front garden. Every other house on the street had a driveway but she was refused permission because the planners thought it wouldn't look very nice.

Reply 8

Original post by Afua1
Thank you for clarifying the previous posters comment.
I am not sure where you are located, but where my friend is , believe me, using the housing crisis is a part of a smoke screen they hide behind when they are being picky.
Like i said, their properties are less than desirable. They are absolute slums, so i cannot see how they can be consumed with fload gates of people blocking doors trying to get housing from them.
My friend also mentioned she was given the heads up that racism is also a major part. A LOT of the employees that was a large paritipate on the barrage of institional racism and whom partake and watch whilst the association watch the poor child die still works there . Once a culture such has that has been promoted for years, they become desensitised to humanity and it is evident.
I do not necessaroly believe that a child or medical health has any barely. The amount of people that fit into those categories. I know family with a child or twThank you for clarifying the previous posters comment.
I am not sure where you are located, but where my friend is , believe me, using the housing crisis is a part of a smoke screen they hide behind when they are being picky.
Like i said, their properties are less than desirable. They are absolute slums, so i cannot see how they can be consumed with fload gates of people blocking doors trying to get housing from them.
My friend also mentioned she was given the heads up that racism is also a major part. A LOT of the employees that was a large paritipate on the barrage of institional racism and whom partake and watch whilst the association watch the poor child die still works there . Once a culture such has that has been promoted for years, they become desensitised to humanity and it is evident.
I do not necessarily believe that a child or medical health has any baring. The amount of people that fit into those categories are significant. I personally know family with a child or two sharing in overcrowded accomodations and are told they have a roof over their heads , so not a priority. So all that is a myth.
The area she lives in has a high rate of drug, alcholics who have flats a, yet she is not eligable for housing🤔

There is a housing crisis. Sorry but there is. Just look at rents in down and out areas. They are less than cheap. Sure, there are lots of empty houses but they are all owned by private individuals and as such there is no requirement for them to rent them out or live in them.

You are talking about one individual who by the sounds of it has a case that is a bit out there. To look at this one case and then assume there isn't a housing crisis is futile at best.

Reply 9

Original post by hotpud
There is a housing crisis. Sorry but there is. Just look at rents in down and out areas. They are less than cheap. Sure, there are lots of empty houses but they are all owned by private individuals and as such there is no requirement for them to rent them out or live in them.
You are talking about one individual who by the sounds of it has a case that is a bit out there. To look at this one case and then assume there isn't a housing crisis is futile at best.

"You are talking about one individual who by the sounds of it has a case that is a bit out there"

A bit out there?? What do you mean by that?

I did not state there is not s housing crisis and if you read my post correctly, you would see that. It is a fact, in the case of my friend ,the housing association has been well publised as being catagorically institualised racists . They were outef by the BBC and their ex employees, The housing crisis just a convenient tool they use to continue that dscrimination against the BAME community.

I bet my bottom dollar that a high % of people that have been given low banding by that housing are of the BAME community.

My friend had contacted them and was allurded by someone who works there that they have given whute people on a low banding a place and that theh aee excluding /continued to pass up people of colour. She has been constantly been given the run around when she contacted them.. Also remember when Sunak stated that social housing will be given to British Born workers? The labour government has still installed that..only Angels added Ukraines to the mix.

Now that is a FACT. So no, i am not stating their isnt a crisis, .
(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 10

Original post by Afua1
"You are talking about one individual who by the sounds of it has a case that is a bit out there"
A bit out there?? What do you mean by that?
I did not state there is not s housing crisis and if you read my post correctly, you would see that. It is a fact, in the case of my friend ,the housing association has been well publised as being catagorically institualised racists . They were outef by the BBC and their ex employees, The housing crisis just a convenient tool they use to continue that dscrimination against the BAME community.
I bet my bottom dollar that a high % of people that have been given low banding by that housing are of the BAME community.
My friend had contacted them and was allurded by someone who works there that they have given whute people on a low banding a place and that theh aee excluding /continued to pass up people of colour. She has been constantly been given the run around when she contacted them.. Also remember when Sunak stated that social housing will be given to British Born workers? The labour government has still installed that..only Angels added Ukraines to the mix.
Now that is a FACT. So no, i am not stating their isnt a crisis, .

Sadly, for every fact, there is also alternative facts. I believe they call it discourse. If you suspect outright racism in the public housing system, I suggest you compile a dossier of evidence and submit it to the necessary authorities. I am not excusing the experience of your friend but suggesting there is systemic problems is quite another thing. Ironically, if you speak to many white working class people, they may well bet their bottom dollars that the housing system works in favour of new immigrants. And we wonder why Reform and other right wing parties are on the rise across the West.

I recommend you listen to the following. It provides a candid incite into some of the less often heard voices on the subject of housing in the UK. Not facts, but genuine opinions non-the-less.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0028sj2

Reply 11

Original post by hotpud
Sadly, for every fact, there is also alternative facts. I believe they call it discourse. If you suspect outright racism in the public housing system, I suggest you compile a dossier of evidence and submit it to the necessary authorities. I am not excusing the experience of your friend but suggesting there is systemic problems is quite another thing. Ironically, if you speak to many white working class people, they may well bet their bottom dollars that the housing system works in favour of new immigrants. And we wonder why Reform and other right wing parties are on the rise across the West.
I recommend you listen to the following. It provides a candid incite into some of the less often heard voices on the subject of housing in the UK. Not facts, but genuine opinions non-the-less.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0028sj2

"you suspect outright racism in the public housing system, I suggest you compile a dossier of evidence and submit it to the necessary authorities. I"


This maybe prevelant to the early 1980s, but certainly not the case now.

In the last 4-5 decades the UK system has been obsessed with trying to create and enable as much abuse the BAME community as possible- in particulafly the Black community. Coropations, authority bodes have been using gaslighting. Corruption and maniuplation in order to enabled the abuse i-n particulafly housing.

Like i said, the housing association my friend registered with ( and a few others like them that i personally have experienced with ) for years had been known for causing actrosities to black familes. Like i mention they had caused a death of a child. Prior to this, tape recordings was exposed by the BBC of staffs mocking the poor boys families culture , downgrading and spreading stereotypical means things about them. Yet to this very day the association is STILL operating and the staff that were involved srill have their jobs.

Blaming immigrants is the typical white cop out. If this is the case that immigrants are to blame. What about "immgrants" as you call them who have earned their strips and have contributed vastly to the system and endure decades of crimee and injustices done towards them by the UK system . Yet the UK system has the darn cheek to still demand they contribute further to the system they fails to respect, acknowledge their efforts , yet relish in the facf they have lost everything as a result of having to pick up the pieces and try to start again?
My friend has been forced to share a house with 5 men , two of which are creepy.. one indecently exposed himself whilst being verbally violent threathening her. Not to mention the multiple additional inconvieniences she has had to endure living there.

People such as her have as much right to housing as any blonde and blue eyed person becauee they contributed. But no, the system and society simppy want to take take take.

The immgrants now - the Ukraines are seen as white, so of course the flood gates are open for them , so i sm not going to go into that , neither do i have interest to.
(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 12

Original post by Afua1
"you suspect outright racism in the public housing system, I suggest you compile a dossier of evidence and submit it to the necessary authorities. I"
This maybe prevelant to the early 1980s, but certainly not the case now.
In the last 4-5 decades the UK system has been obsessed with trying to create and enable as much abuse the BAME community as possible- in particulafly the Black community. Coropations, authority bodes have been using gaslighting. Corruption and maniuplation in order to enabled the abuse i-n particulafly housing.
Like i said, the housing association my friend registered with ( and a few others like them that i personally have experienced with ) for years had been known for causing actrosities to black familes. Like i mention they had caused a death of a child. Prior to this, tape recordings was exposed by the BBC of staffs mocking the poor boys families culture , downgrading and spreading stereotypical means things about them. Yet to this very day the association is STILL operating and the staff that were involved srill have their jobs.
Blaming immigrants is the typical white cop out. If this is the case that immigrants are to blame. What about "immgrants" as you call them who have earned their strips and have contributed vastly to the system and endure decades of crimee and injustices done towards them by the UK system . Yet the UK system has the darn cheek to still demand they contribute further to the system they fails to respect, acknowledge their efforts , yet relish in the facf they have lost everything as a result of having to pick up the pieces and try to start again?
My friend has been forced to share a house with 5 men , two of which are creepy.. one indecently exposed himself whilst being verbally violent threathening her. Not to mention the multiple additional inconvieniences she has had to endure living there.
People such as her have as much right to housing as any blonde and blue eyed person becauee they contributed. But no, the system and society simppy want to take take take.
The immgrants now - the Ukraines are seen as white, so of course the flood gates are open for them , so i sm not going to go into that , neither do i have interest to.

I think you are complaining to the wrong person in the wrong place. Like I say, please compile all your evidence and submit it to the relevant authorities.

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