Under 25's to lose housing benefit ?

[dyna-ti]

Having lived and worked in the US, that depends very much where you live. Big cities are much like ours, mainly rented, but in the smaller towns in the provinces like where I was in Pennsylvania it's mainly homeowners. Though I bucked the trend by renting!

I remember hearing that in countries like Germany ,France or Spain its normal practis to rent.I believe they find our system of ownership quite unusual :?

 

[Neil]

I have lived there and in many other countries too but have never found the cultural 'need' to own as strong as in the people of this country.

Thing is, though, it's often portrayed as something negative - which is more about bias and perspective.

For some people with certain goals or outlook, it may be restricting, but for others, can be that significant investment in their life.

Personally, I'm somewhat ambivalent, despite being a homeowner since I was 20. It's suited my needs, and there's only been a brief period where I could have seen it as a bit restricting.

 

[silverclaws]

I believe other European countries laugh at us with our need to buy attitude, but the housing market is another economy. Studio flat in Orebro in the middle of sweden the equivalent of £7500 to buy and those flats have storage under the building and wash rooms in the top of the building, that being you don't need you own washing machine, also stuff like fridges and cookers get replaced ever three years. Hell the stuga sold for £11,000 and the two hundred year old Torp with 14 acre of game forest, a moose trail through the property, an old glass industry building made out of stone, ( rare in those parts), a smithy, a wood work shop, a guest stuga and it's very own wolverine only sold for £16000. And we are forced to pay what, for what, we are being ripped off. No wonder Europe laughs at us.

But homelessness s all part of the housing market formula, homeless keep prices high so banks can make money.

And we all know camoron collude with bankers.

But we have been falling for a long time now, every government has added to the mess, but because of the financial melt down, all eyes on the government, they had the parcel when the music stopped.

Ee need radical changes in this country, and not at the bottom, for it is the top that causes the problems, policies that fail to replaced by policies that will fail, but what we have in power now is a real nasty piece of work, but that's what we get for not engaging in politics, the less that vote the more chance the loonies seize power and boy we have a real loony up there the reincarnation of Mary Antoinette.

 

[highlandsflyer]

Homelessness keeps prices high?

Market forces don't really involve homelessness.

The concept of future profit is what maintains prices.

We just don't learn.

A home should be a home, not some weapon to profit.

 

[Neil]

Homelessness keeps prices high?

Market forces don't really involve homelessness.

The concept of future profit is what maintains prices.

We just don't learn.

A home should be a home, not some weapon to profit.

Well we can talk about what "should" happen or be in society from lofty horses - but my comments on investment weren't purely on those looking at the house market with cyncism.

I was talking about your average Joe or Joanne who buys a home - that represents probably the most significant financial investment they'll ever make.

People don't opt to own simply to have a home - after all, to a large degree renting or leasing achieves that. They do it - even if they don't conciously recognise why they do it - as a kind of enforced saving - because otherwise most people wouldn't - and after decades of working, many - probably most - would have simply lived largely hand-to-mouth with nothing much to show towards the end of it.

That's not a weapon of profit against the 'have nots' - it just is, just like pensions.

That there are others who use the housing market more like a business - well look at the other end of the scale - look at somewhere like China.

We can talk about other cultures or countries having different perspectives and priorities, and being more family orientated, or more nomadic in location choice - but that's all just really from perspective. If people do so more in the UK, it isn't necessarily a negative thing - after all, we don't live on a terribly big rock in terms of moving around.

 

[greenstiles]

Homelessness and lack of houses/flats to rent keeps rents high.

I was amazed how little houses are to buy in some countries, yup it's a rip off here.

 

[silverclaws]

It is my sense this country is being run down and riled up, but the question is why ?

What is coming, what is this nazi in government trying to achieve, as to me it looks like he is trying to forge a warrior

But if a warrior, to what purpose is that warrior to be put ?

Just look at it, the young, who are they and what are they and why this constant attack on them, why is it the young appear to be subject to the nastiness of this government.

The old the ill, the disabled, they are just sport for the rich boys in power, something to have fun with, but they are not the target, for it seems the young are the ones being punished the most, why ?

For being born

Or is there some other reason ?

 

[Neil]

It is my sense this country is being run down and riled up, but the question is why ?

What is coming, what is this nazi in government trying to achieve, as to me it looks like he is trying to forge a warrior

But if a warrior, to what purpose is that warrior to be put ?

Just look at it, the young, who are they and what are they and why this constant attack on them, why is it the young appear to be subject to the nastiness of this government.

The old the ill, the disabled, they are just sport for the rich boys in power, something to have fun with, but they are not the target, for it seems the young are the ones being punished the most, why ?

For being born

Or is there some other reason ?

Oh come on!

I'm far from Cameron's biggest fan, but Nazi? Don't make me laugh. Two Jags would put him on his ass in a New York minute.

Blair was twice the Tory that Cameron is, and both were / are pale pastiches of Maggie.

 

[greenstiles]

I wondered to what end the government is wrecking the UK rapidly.......just sheer plain incompetance .......no hidden agender, just really dumb stupidity :?

 

[highlandsflyer]

To turn this on it's head, what moral justification is there for public taxes to subsidise any persons housing?

These 'public taxes' you speak of. Who should they rather be spent on?

What moral justification can there be for withholding the right to housing from those in need?