Guardian article: "My life in London's houseboat slums"

[magnetman]

Because politicians own houses in central London which go up in value the more overcrowded it gets

[KevMc]

 

I'd like to see how they cope with the flooding. You've got to have some interest in the waterways to live on rivers in winter.

 

I agree. I once mentioned the idea of regulations to prevent people owning more than 2 houses (like they have in Sweden) to a friend and was told that was communism! The property culture is ingrained into the national psyche in this country.

 

The truth is that the Govt isn't going to do anything to prevent the latest phase of this housing bubble that prices so many out of the market and plays right into the hands of the greedy scumlords with their ever-increasing rents and falling standards. The housing bubble seems to be the only way of getting the economy going again (unsustainably), until it bursts again!

 

If you prevent people from owning more than 2 properties there would be no private rental market and even more homelessness

[furnessvale]

 

If you prevent people from owning more than 2 properties there would be no private rental market and even more homelessness

I would imagine that, even in Sweden, anyone owning more than two homes for rental purposes would have them in a company name, for tax purposes if nothing else.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Athy]

All you have to do is cruise the short distance from Norwood Top Lock (top of Hanwell) to Bulls Bridge to see what's going on - just look on the west side of the canal. Even to me is quite obvious.

There's a uniformity of design to many of these "garden sheds" - it suggests that an enterprising local builder has been doing very well selling the idea to local residents and then putting up the bungalows, whoops, sheds.

[KevMc]

I would imagine that, even in Sweden, anyone owning more than two homes for rental purposes would have them in a company name, for tax purposes if nothing else.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

So what is the point of the law then? It only creates work for acountants and lawyers to audit the company - maybe that answers my own question

[Lady Muck]

What he's outlined isn't so far off what was happening in the '80s and '90s, with companies having caravans in their premises and lads from Up North coming down to work in London. That's been (Mostly) stopped now by the councils inspecting commercial premises.

Have you been round any industrial estates recently, loads of people living like this but much more stealthily. Our friends live in a lwb merc van. It has skylights and no burner, much harder to tell it's lived in.

[Athy]

Our friends live in a lwb merc van. It has skylights and no burner.

Isn't it cold in winter?

[WJM]

The London canals have become today's equivalent of those caravan estates of old. CaRT have a remit to provide a leisure amenity, not social housing. Abuse of licensing is the mechanism that allows some boaters to establish illegal housing on the canals.

 

For all you nostalgia buffs out there, the "Registered at..." lettering that was applied to old working narrowboats (and is now erroneously applied to some modern boats) did not refer to the boat's operating license. It showed that the vessel had been approved by the health authorities as fit for for human habitation. Perhaps we need a return to this system.

[magnetman]

They did apparently apply for a boat safety cert on one of the lighters at teddington but failed. AFAIK the boat is still there an will be until Richmond Council do something.

 

For some reason EA don't deal with it. I suppose it would be physically quite difficult to remove it now that it is established as a dwelling place. Thing is that there is encouragement for others to do the same thing. Maybe its the former raft man who established some sort of precedence and Richmond now can't do anything about shanty boats like that in their borough

 

I agree with WJM that the waterway tow paths are primarily (in theory) a leisure amenity but in some places they are turning into housing estates. This has been going on for a while and it isn't going to suddenly stop.

[Wanted]

The problem, as always isn't with the people, but the authorities. If we had a decent housing stock which allows for human behaviours and all of its glorious forms coupled with consistent and fair enforcement of existing law and bye law then we wouldn't be where we are now.

Edited February 25, 2014 by Wanted

[magnetman]

Thatcher sold them off to get voters. I know someone who bought her 2 bed council flat near Limehouse basin in the 80's for £20,000. Identical flat in same block sold for around £250k last year. This is then let back to the council via a lease to an external agency on a year or two year lease arrangement.

 

Completely ridiculous arrangement

But then I am not an accountant ...

 

 

A friend of mine who is now living on a boat said to me when he first got on the cut (inside m25)

 

"They should just fill it in build houses on it" referring to the Grand Union from say Uxbridge to central London.

 

Its a fair point ?

[MHS]

Thatcher sold them off to get voters. I know someone who bought her 2 bed council flat near Limehouse basin in the 80's for £20,000. Identical flat in same block sold for around £250k last year. This is then let back to the council via a lease to an external agency ?

Wasn't the idea that the money raised from council house sales was ploughed back into building new council houses? This never happened due to some legal glitch?

 

Would have made sense to sell the homes to those who wanted to buy, therefore allowing an increase in affordable housing available.

[Caprifool]

I once mentioned the idea of regulations to prevent people owning more than 2 houses (like they have in Sweden).....

Never heard of it.

 

Ok, genuine question: I see empty houses in one area where industries have shut down. And jobs in another area with insufficient housing. People move to where the jobs are, creating more and new types of jobs serving the growing population. Housing prices rocket, making people prioritise cheap products manufactured abroad. And making it possible to make serious money just by buying and selling off property within six months, without even doing anything to improve them. Same house without tenants, changing owners multiple times until it is condemned. More Uk industries close, more people move, housing costs rise......and so on, and so on.... Where could this chain be broken? Encourage more to self employ? Help councils promote their area as desirable for new industries to move in? Lots of unemployed who'd rather work in their home town and do up one of those boarded up houses, than rent a damp cabin in a boat away from family? Where should or could one start?

 

It hurts me, seeing young people's eyes who see no future for them selves. Their home town is a ghost town and cities are to expensive start their new life in. While everyone is blaming "the others" Whomever they might be. There used to be a ladder to get what you want in life. But now everything is on the top shelf and the ladder to short.

 

Sorry for rambling. Been up all night taking care of a sick cat. And the mind wanders....

[Bee]

Councils were not allowed to use the money generated from council house sales to build new ones .The idea was to remove social housing from councils and hand it to the private landlords.

[Athy]

Quite so. What would have been the point of using the proceeds to build more council houses? It would have been a waste of money, as the houses were sold quite cheaply, so building the new ones would have required a deep dig into the public purse.

[Bee]

Well you are right as that was the way the legislation was drafted. A shame the right to buy wasn`t limited to houses over, say, 50 yrs old. My (ex council but bought at full market price) house is 50 plus yrs old and needs a new roof / windows plus a load of other stuff. The local housing association does just that with some of it`s older houses that need money spent on them and then acquires new. It was a time of political dogma and common sense went out the window.