Empty properties yet many want a home to live in
By maximax8
@maximax8 (31053)
United Kingdom
December 8, 2011 7:42am CST
I am shocked to find out that my local council have 1,902 empty properties. Yet 7,939 people are on the waiting list for a house. I am lucky because I bought my own home at age 19 years. I feel sorry for people living in houses in very poor condition. Lots of people are even worse off because they are homeless. One TV man is trying to get empty homes back into places where people can live. He is doing deals with local councils. So far with his help two homes have been made decent and families have moved into them. It is so amazing to find out about all this. One council worker said a two upstairs and a two downstairs home is not what people want. Many buildings are three floors with flats and these can be converted into a large house. I guess that if people don't want a small home two houses could be made into one.
What do you think?
Are there any empty homes in your local area?
Is it possible to get affordable housing in your local area?
Does everyone have a home to live in?
4 people like this
30 responses
@peavey (16936)
• United States
8 Dec 11
It's probably the same in every developed country. With empty houses all over the place since the housing crash here in the US, there are homeless people, but the empty houses are owned by people and banks and you can't just take them away and give them to someone else, homeless or not. The government doesn't need to spend more of our money buying up properties to help the homeless, even if they'd do it.
We need to start where we are. One person, doing what he can when he can. Do you know of an empty house and do you know someone who needs it? Dig in and see what kind of negotiation you can do. Find out who owns the house and what it would take to allow someone to use it. If the rent is low enough, some homeless people could afford it. Better than setting empty, right? See what you can do. You might be surprised.
1 person likes this
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
9 Dec 11
An Architect Guy on TV seems to have done something along these lines..He has a series on about the idea of housing,going from a simple construction using straw bales inside the walls as insulating material,to someone's dream design made of steel..and in the most recent one,with a team of (Volunteer?) Builders,renovating a couple of empty sitting apartments built over shops into homes for 2 separate guys who were homeless..
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
9 Dec 11
Thanks for these excellent ideas. I let out my cottage so I could have a monthly income on my travels. My cottage was part of a Victorian workhouse and then that historical building was developed into one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom homes.
Every village could have two new homes built by a housing association. These could be given to two families that are able to help build another two new homes. All the empty homes should be found out able like who owns each one. Deals could be done to give rent to these people. The architect guy sounds very interesting and I like the idea of a straw bale house.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
8 Dec 11
I saw that programme last night,and think it admirable of this guy getting the ball rolling on redeveloping some of this empty accommodation property,and making it into a home for someone who didn't have one. But there seems to be a lot of negativity in this area preventing the spread of the idea..landlords sitting on derelict properties without developing them so they could get brought into revenue generating condition,people being picky about what property they'd consider,and an economic situation that has builders and contractors unemployed,with part built ghost developments standing unfinished..it's a Catch 22 situation..you can't have homes without builders,and you can't have homes without buyers or tenants to pay for them!
I have to admit I didn't see the entire programme...where did the money come from to acquire the properties and develop them?
1 person likes this
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
10 Dec 11
I rewatched all of this show on 4OD earlier today and got caught up on the bits I missed..that was an incredible statistic on the number of empty places there are in GB alone..lined up,they'd reach from Land's end to John o' Groats..
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
9 Dec 11
I am glad that you saw that program last night. The man asked local housing companies if he could have a house to redevelop into a show home. I think he used grant funding to get in the builders. The time frame was half what is usually would be. Tenants could pay a percentage of their earnings to live in a house that has been redeveloped. Grants could pay for a builder for each house and unemployed people that are signing on could help him. This would look on their curriculum vitae.
@cheenlly (3477)
• Philippines
8 Dec 11
There are a lot of homeless people here too and some live under the bridge or in the street or somewhere. Its a pity to see that. Your lucky you have bought your home at young age.I admire you because of that. Me personally i don't have yet, i am just living with my parents but soon will plan to buy one when i can afford already.Happy mylotting!
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
8 Dec 11
We also have alot of empty houses here due to foreclosures. It's sad. But we do have an organization that is called habitat for humanity that will restore a home to livable conditions if the person wanting the home helps with the work. They earn their home in other words.....
1 person likes this
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
8 Dec 11
There's a cheap & simple solution that has been used with great success here. You can buy a shipping container for between $5000 & $10000 depending on dimentions & how old it is new / used. They come with excellent timber slats that can scrub up very well into good quality floor boards. Land is cheap here & there are ways for disadvantaged people to get cheap / free land to build upon & live. Up in the Riverland there is free land & they will pay your rates to start with. Rural Victoria have communities where houses are selling for $0. You can rent houses in the New South Wales Wheat Belt for $1 a week. There's really no excuse. Many of the homeless here have been offered housing & they refuse to take it - they prefer to live on the streets.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
9 Dec 11
Hi Max,
Do you mean like 'abandoned' homes? I mean, homes here are owned by people, even if they are empty.. they might be for sale. Some homes are owned or managed by real estate companies and they are waiting for people to move into... but I don't know of any abandoned homes that have no one to live in them. All homes are owned by someone, so the government wouldn't have any say about who gets into them.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
12 Oct 12
This has been a consistent problem for as long as I can remember. Every now and then it finds it's way back into the news or they make a television program about it. It usually creates a lot of interest for a short period of time, but the novelty soon wears off and everybody forgets about it again.
The councils usually justify the situation by pointing out that many of these properties require renovation and that they cannot allow someone to live in an unsafe dwelling. It sounds reasonable, until you realise that to avoid putting someone in such a house they will permit them to live in derelict properties that could collapse at any time and have no security.
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
8 Dec 11
Austin is one of the few places that the price of houses really hasn't gone down and actually apartments have gone up!
So, while there are places that are reasonable to rent, if you have a job, can be kind of hard for a person on a fixed income.
I know at the complex that my client lives in there is at least one family living in a one bedroom apartment with 3 kids, I have no idea where they sleep!
@vandana7 (99102)
• India
8 Dec 11
Of course, living room. One bedroom had queen sized bed that let three people sleep on it. There was a narrow passage after that - so a small cot was laid there for grandpa who was suffering with Alzhiemers. In the other bedroom, cot was occupied by grandma. Bed on the floor accommodated 2. Drawing room accommodated the rest. One person got to sleep on seating arrangement.
1 person likes this
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
9 Dec 11
A council tenant can't be fussy because many people are on the waiting list. I was so surprised to find out just how many empty homes there are.
Over the years the majority of my money went on traveling and now that is even more so now airfares are lots more expensive. My first home was cheap due to it being a recession. Years later I sold it and it happened that it had more than doubled in value. It was almost enough to get a slightly bigger modern house in a new area. I needed to get a small mortgage to buy a bungalow suitable for my disabled son.
@andy77e (5156)
• United States
12 Dec 11
Affordable is a relative term. Do you mean affordable in that, I can buy a new car, have big screen TVs, Satellite service, have all bran new furniture, clothes, appliances, and everything else I want...... and have a large house with a two-car garage?
No.
Do you mean I can put in a full 40 hour work week, have the bare necessities, and pay for a nice place to live in? Yes.
It's too bad your government has messed up your housing market with government built housing no one wants, and subsidies that drive up costs. But that's how socialized housing works.
You need to stop your government from building homes, and paying out subsidies to fix this, but I doubt the UK people are willing to do what it takes to fix the problem.
@junnah25 (55)
• Cavite City, Philippines
17 Jul 12
Here in the Philippines, I don't think you can find an empty property yet you can't count all the families (not just person) living in the streets, under the bridge, or even on waters. I'm lucky to have my mother who worked all her life just to buy us a piece of property and my father who built the house for us. To think, they used to sleep on the streets when they were young. It is small, but still a home for me.
I've been hearing a lot of news about demolitions of illegal settlers, I just don't understand why they don't want the houses the Government are giving to them. Yes it is far from the main cities, but still a house. They were given house and some money yet, they rather fight, hurt the authorities and get hurt than take the offer. I just couldn't get it. They rather live in the dangerous places or even in the streets than start a life in the relocation area.
@surekharathi (14146)
• India
28 Nov 12
If property of Govt then no one can make their house there even the property is empty. Ohhh homeless person can make a small cottage(huts)but no permanent house can made there.
@Pushhyarag2000 (1416)
• India
8 Dec 11
Lack of adequate housing is an issue which is common in most cities in my country too. There is a huge unfulfilled demand and every time the development authority announces allotment, there is huge rush. Affordable yet convenient housing is what every family-small or big-aspires. In our country, it is mostly vacant sites which the public authority allots and very few built homes or flats. People target site sizes commensurate with their affordability. But there is so less supply contrasted with such a huge demand.
The low income communities are the worst affected. They have to perforce depend on government allotments rather than direct purchase from market sellers. Prices are quite high too.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
9 Dec 11
Since every family desires a home to live in that should be the governments first effort in which to improve the country. The homes need to be affordable for every single person. I can see the huge demand for housing in your home country. It is lovely some allotments are being made. Thanks for your super response.
@drambits (96)
•
8 Dec 11
In my country there are so many homeless people. They can be seen on the main highways of the city, in the suburbs and even in public parks. It just ruins the image of the city and I feel sorry for them since they are forced to live under bridges and sewers. Yet, what can we do? since the government isn't really doing something to fix this problem.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
8 Dec 11
I am sorry that homeless people are suffering living in the open. Sleeping under a bridge must be very uncomfortable. Living in a public park could be dangerous at night. The government should give low cost housing and find extra jobs. i have been to Cape Town and seen where the poor live. They are in shanty town like set ups. I think that all empty properties should be given to a person in need of a home to live in. One young couple did their home up with just £3,000 by doing much of the work themselves.
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
9 Dec 11
Yes there are many empty homes to live in. A lot of them don't need work, and sit empty. I find it a real shame that the people who can afford to live in these lovely homes instead have brand new homes built. It seems like such a waste to me.
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
16 Jul 12
I believe this sounds like a great program. Why a person wouldn't be satisfied to have a two-story home if it was cheap then they deserve to suffer with homelessness! I can see if it is a large family wanting to have a large house. I would be happy with something small myself. My apartment has two bedrooms and I only use one of them. I think most of the homes in my area are either owned or rented to college students, but since I have never looked into purchasing it doesn't really matter. There are a lot of homeless people in my area, but some of that is the lifestyle they lead.
@frankiecesca (2489)
•
10 Dec 11
In our area, I don't think there are that many empty properties but, we have less flats now and more houses so they tend to get filled quickly. When we had more flats there were more empty for longer as people wanted houses. I live in a ground floor flat and I ideally would like a house one day. I think had I thought to buy at a young age like you did I would be in a good position now but, oh well! : )
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
9 Dec 11
There are a lot of empty houses on my island. The houses on our island are relatively cheap compared to houses in other parts of the country, but it is very difficult to sell the houses. Today there are few jobs here and many people prefer to live on the neighbour island instead, because it is much bigger and it is much easier to find work there. We bought our house in the beginning of this year and we are very happy to live here. The are bridges between our island and the neighbour islands and we have a car, so I don't think that it is a big problem to drive to work on the neighbour island, go to school on the neighbour island etc.
If you want to buy a house if it is easy to find a house on our island, but if you want to rent a place it is not quite as easy and there are waiting lists. I know that, because we because we originally thought about renting a place and we waited a couple years without getting an apartment.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
13 Dec 11
It is a bit sad when you see a lot of homeless people in your hometown, and then when you look on another side of town, there are a lot of houses where nobody is living in them. I understand the economics of it, that it costs money for people to afford these houses, but it's just a sad thought that as a human race we are not able to bridge this gap.
