Perhaps Jean thinks that if the government and local authorities raise taxes using their political will and stand firm against the naysayers, they will then be able to manage a property portfolio, either by government agencies, or by privately commissioned organisations. That ignores the fairly obvious problem that since we are a democracy (ha) any proposals to raise revenue to make such activity feasible would almost immediately cause problems with the electorate as a whole, who would effectively vote against it at the earliest opportunity.
Regulations, government interference: Do rents in the UK have to be controlled?
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Originally posted by Dave2002 View PostPerhaps Jean thinks that if the government and local authorities raise taxes using their political will and stand firm against the naysayers, they will then be able to manage a property portfolio, either by government agencies, or by privately commissioned organisations. That ignores the fairly obvious problem that since we are a democracy (ha) any proposals to raise revenue to make such activity feasible would almost immediately cause problems with the electorate as a whole, who would effectively vote against it at the earliest opportunity.
Besides, it should not be too difficult to set the increased borrowing required to replenish and develop the existing publicly-owned housing stock against the saving of the millions of public funds currently diverted (in the form of housing benefit) into the pockets of private landlords who charge 'market' rents.
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As it happens we have a flat which we are trying to sell, and have looked at the rental options. There are so many obligations towards potential tenants that for the time being we are going to continue with the sale process. We were further put off when we talked to a letting agency about the need for registration, and the risks, both to the property, and also to actually getting the rental income.
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Originally posted by Dave2002 View PostPerhaps Jean thinks that if the government and local authorities raise taxes using their political will and stand firm against the naysayers, they will then be able to manage a property portfolio, either by government agencies, or by privately commissioned organisations. That ignores the fairly obvious problem that since we are a democracy (ha) any proposals to raise revenue to make such activity feasible would almost immediately cause problems with the electorate as a whole, who would effectively vote against it at the earliest opportunity.
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Originally posted by jean View PostWell, siince so many young people now cannot dream of owning their own homes, and yet may find themselves paying more in rent than they would on the mortgage they can't get, you may find there aren't as many naysayers as you fear.
Originally posted by jean View PostBesides, it should not be too difficult to set the increased borrowing required to replenish and develop the existing publicly-owned housing stock against the saving of the millions of public funds currently diverted (in the form of housing benefit) into the pockets of private landlords who charge 'market' rents.
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Originally posted by Dave2002 View PostPerhaps Jean thinks that if the government and local authorities raise taxes using their political will and stand firm against the naysayers, they will then be able to manage a property portfolio, either by government agencies, or by privately commissioned organisations. That ignores the fairly obvious problem that since we are a democracy (ha) any proposals to raise revenue to make such activity feasible would almost immediately cause problems with the electorate as a whole, who would effectively vote against it at the earliest opportunity.I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man.
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Originally posted by ahinton View PostPerhaps so, but never mind the mere naysayers and who would vote against what, the money would simply not be there to provide most of the nation's rented housing needs in the form of social housing because the investment (not to mention time) required to accomplish so vast an acquisition project would simply be way beyond the affordability of taxpayers.
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Originally posted by jean View PostWe borrow hugely as it is; but we do it by proxy, and call it PFI. And it costs us far more in the long run.
But it's got you fooled, evidently!I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man.
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Originally posted by Dave2002 View PostI don't think so. Taxpayers en masse could afford it surely, but en masse they would not wish to do so, as that would represent a serious transfer of wealth from the better off to the less well off - which doesn't seem to be what it's about these days.
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Originally posted by jean View PostWe borrow hugely as it is; but we do it by proxy, and call it PFI. And it costs us far more in the long run.
But it's got you fooled, evidently!
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Originally posted by ahinton View PostFor all the problems that have undoubtedly emerged from that policy, I don't think that it hs been the unmitigated and universal disaster as which you appear to portray it and has in some cases helped to ease local authorities' cashflows in some of their more cash-strapped times.
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Originally posted by ardcarp View PostI dare say the 'small private landlord' manages things with a minimum of fuss and bureaucracy. Additional costs for a local authority trying to run the entire housing stock would be the armies of administrators (with sick pay, maternity leave, pensions, etc) and the banks of dodgy computer systems needing a whole other army to understand them.
Oh dear. I sound like an advocate for privatisation of everything which I certainly am not.
The truth is that a great many of the people who would have been housed in council housing are not now in nice new-build homes bought up by the 'buy-to-let' brigade, hoping they'll provide a nice investment for their pension & pushing up property prices while they're at it, but in grotty bed and breakfast, where children can't have a decent hot meal, or a quiet space to do their homework.
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