Is getting a council house the equivalent of winning the lotto

Sweet.Science · 29-11-2018 11:05AM #1

Hear me out

The 1st thing people would think of doing if they won the lotto is buying a house or paying off their mortgage.

The thought of living in a house mortgage free is the most appealing aspect of winning the lotto . Not only that but it also
Good to know you will leave an inheritance behind for your kids

Is getting a council house the same thing ?

IF you have kids it will be rent free. Only mugs would bother paying any rent knowing you will never be evicted. Your kids also
Get to inherit it when you pass away.

People really have struck gold when they get one

Wheeliebin30 · 29-11-2018 11:06AM

Sweet.Science wrote: »

Hear me out

The 1st thing people would think of doing if they won the lotto is buying a house or paying off their mortgage.

The thought of living in a house mortgage free is the most appealing aspect of winning the lotto . Not only that but it also
Good to know you will leave an inheritance behind for your kids

Is getting a council house the same thing ?

IF you have kids it will be rent free. Only mugs would bother paying any rent knowing you will never be evicted. Your kids also
Get to inherit it when you pass away.

People really have struck gold when they get one

And the council pays for all your maintenance.

beertons · 29-11-2018 11:09AM

Yes.

engiweirdo · 29-11-2018 11:09AM

Jaysus. Less than a minute. I smell a sockpuppet.

q85dw7osi4lebg · 29-11-2018 11:11AM

Yep.

incentsitive · 29-11-2018 11:11AM

Yes but there is something rewarding about working for a living, earning your keep, educating your family, paying your way, enjoying the ups and downs of what work and life throws at you.
I wouldn't let the word "I'm entitled to" enter my psyche or my kids psyche. You pay your own way.
Much better than a life on welfare. The only pity is that our kids will have to pay for ever increasing offspring of people like Margaret Cash with the same sense of entitlement. That to me is the real pity.
I've no problem paying for people who fall on hard times, but inter-generational unemployment and free housing and the like is a joke.
The council can keep their house, I will earn my own way through this life and not live a life as a scrounger.

29-11-2018 11:15AM

Yes, I dream of the day I will get a council house in some, eh, less salubrious area of Dublin surrounded by tidy, clean houses occupied by Green Party-voting progressives who read books, listen to sophisticated music and aspire for their children to go to university.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 29-11-2018 11:17AM

incentsitive wrote: »

The council can keep their house, I will earn my own way through this life and not live a life as a scrounger.

People living in council estates are scroungers?.

How?.

Mr. Incognito · 29-11-2018 11:17AM

I grew up in a Council Estate

Scumbags and Travellers for neighbours.

Everything was in a wreck.

Couldnt wait to get out.

Deebles McBeebles · 29-11-2018 11:20AM

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

I grew up in a Council Estate

Scumbags and Travellers for neighbours.

Everything was in a wreck.

Couldnt wait to get out.

Maybe you could clarify how much of the OP is actually true?

Sweet.Science · 29-11-2018 11:22AM

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

I grew up in a Council Estate

Scumbags and Travellers for neighbours.

Everything was in a wreck.

Couldnt wait to get out.

You do realise the council are buying private houses all over Dublin for people to live in . When i bought my house i was outbid by the council on a number of properties beforehand

arybvtcw0eolkf · 29-11-2018 11:26AM

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

I grew up in a Council Estate

Scumbags and Travellers for neighbours.

Everything was in a wreck.

Couldnt wait to get out.

Pretty much the same here.

Grew up in Ballymun during the 70's, 80's and 90's.

Got lucky with buying and selling houses and now live somewhere really nice.

Some clown in the council decided that buying houses in my estate and housing scumbags and travellers would be a brilliant idea.

We're pestered now with break in's, thefts from garden shed's, tools van's and a number of times a day its travellers knocking in asking if I want my tree's pruned, grass cut, gutter cleared etc etc.. All the while scoping out my house.

I record them from my CCTV and can speak through my CCTV speaker to let them know I'm watching.

I'll never sell out but I hope a level head realizes this crap isn't working and ships them out again.

I've an elderly neighbor who's been burgled twice, he's very ill and infirm. Sounds awful but I'm dreading when he dies in case the family sell the house to the council for a quick buck.

Squatter · 29-11-2018 11:27AM

My missus still remembers her ma crying her eyes out at a Dublin Corporation 'draw' for council houses in the early 1970's. 'Winning' a house at that draw enabled her family to move from Ballyfermot to a shiny new semi-d house in Dublin 5 which the family then purchased from the Corpo for a song over the next 25 years. It is beyond argument that 'winning' in that draw changed their lives forever and was every bit as significant to them as a lottery win.

The irony (if that's the right word) is that the house - on a large corner site with front, back and side gardens and space to build a second house - will sell for a 7 figure sum when her elderly parents pass on, because it's within walking distance of Beaumont Hospital. So she and her sibling stand to inherit a cool €0.5 million each - almost tax-free - courtesy of their parent's council house. Is that what social housing policy is really all about?

29-11-2018 11:27AM

As with all similar and relate threads, if its so marvelous why not do it yourself put yourself on the housing waiting list and wait until you get your free 'house'. All you need to do is keep your income under for Dublin City. €35,000. €42,000. Dún Laoghaire. Then wait about 10 years.

JustMe,K · 29-11-2018 11:30AM

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

I grew up in a Council Estate

Scumbags and Travellers for neighbours.

Everything was in a wreck.

Couldnt wait to get out.

Me too - you couldn't pay me to go back there.

Cina · 29-11-2018 11:30AM

I would never choose a life on welfare than a life with a job and a career, regardless of all the perks and the potential free house. Working for a living and building a stable career is much more satisfying and makes you appreciate everything you get far more. Earning the money to pay for these things - cars, houses, phones, whatever is satisfying. Getting that stuff by not doing a thing would not be.

Plus, I'd probably be incredibly bored.

mickdw · 29-11-2018 11:30AM

I wouldn't fancy living in a council estate however the council used to commonly build single houses for families on there own farm, the council taking ownership of the site.
I believe they have started to do this again rurally and I've seen 2 beautiful 1.5 storey homes built not to far from me that by all accounts are council built. Considering that in the past they have sold these houses off to the tenants at maybe 25 percent of market value, you would have to think that getting one of these rural house is the equivalent of a cash Windfall of 200,000.

Squatter · 29-11-2018 11:30AM

mariaalice wrote: »

As with all similar and relate threads, if its so marvelous why not do it yourself put yourself on the housing waiting list and wait until you get your free 'house'. All you need to do is keep your income under for Dublin City. €35,000. €42,000. Dún Laoghaire. They wait about 10 years.

A complete no brainer. Both of my kids have done it. I'd do it myself only I'd probably have to sell one of the yachts to qualify.

29-11-2018 11:33AM

Squatter wrote: »

My missus still remembers her ma crying her eyes out at a Dublin Corporation 'draw' for council houses in the early 1970's. 'Winning' a house at that draw enabled her family to move from Ballyfermot to a shiny new semi-d house in Dublin 5 which the family then purchased from the Corpo for a song over the next 25 years. It is beyond argument that 'winning' in that draw changed their lives forever and was every bit as significant to them as a lottery win.

The irony (if that's the right word) is that the house - on a large corner site with front, back and side gardens and space to build a second house - will sell for a 7 figure sum when her elderly parents pass on, because it's within walking distance of Beaumont Hospital. So she and her sibling stand to inherit a cool €0.5 million each - almost tax-free - courtesy of their parent's council house. Is that what social housing policy is really all about?

That is a very rare an luck happenstance, but yes the selling off of heavily discounted council house has transferred wealth to some people courtesy of the government.

super_furry · 29-11-2018 11:35AM

Why don't we just call poor people?

Cee-Jay-Cee · 29-11-2018 11:39AM

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

And the council pays for all your maintenance.

And if you accidentally fell down the stairs or fell off a chair while changing a light bulb or tripped on a bit of worn carpet or limo you can sue the council and be guaranteed to get €20k plus for it.

You will also get a fuel allowance, free child care even though you don’t work, free medical and free education/book and uniform allowances.

You really got it made when you get acou cil house.

29-11-2018 11:40AM

mariaalice wrote: »

As with all similar and relate threads, if its so marvelous why not do it yourself put yourself on the housing waiting list and wait until you get your free 'house'. All you need to do is keep your income under for Dublin City. €35,000. €42,000. Dún Laoghaire. Then wait about 10 years.

Ah Jaysas. That sounds like way too much work.

Wheeliebin30 · 29-11-2018 11:43AM

mariaalice wrote: »

As with all similar and relate threads, if its so marvelous why not do it yourself put yourself on the housing waiting list and wait until you get your free 'house'. All you need to do is keep your income under for Dublin City. €35,000. €42,000. Dún Laoghaire. Then wait about 10 years.

Because we’re not scroungers?

We have some pride dignity and respect.

So we’re not allowed have a say about issues instead we should go and do the very issue we’re not happy about??????

Squatter · 29-11-2018 11:44AM

mariaalice wrote: »

That is a very rare an luck happenstance, but yes the selling off of heavily discounted council house has transferred wealth to some people courtesy of the government.

Courtesy of successive governments!

And it isn't all that rare. The owners of every council house (and there are hundreds of them) in the vicinity of the Northside shopping centre are in the exact same serendipitous situation. Charlie Haughey's decision to locate the new hospital in Beaumont all those years ago made them all winners in the social housing lottery!

greencap · 29-11-2018 11:45AM

Squatter wrote: »

My missus still remembers her ma crying her eyes out at a Dublin Corporation 'draw' for council houses in the early 1970's. 'Winning' a house at that draw enabled her family to move from Ballyfermot to a shiny new semi-d house in Dublin 5 which the family then purchased from the Corpo for a song over the next 25 years. It is beyond argument that 'winning' in that draw changed their lives forever and was every bit as significant to them as a lottery win.

The irony (if that's the right word) is that the house - on a large corner site with front, back and side gardens and space to build a second house - will sell for a 7 figure sum when her elderly parents pass on, because it's within walking distance of Beaumont Hospital. So she and her sibling stand to inherit a cool €0.5 million each - almost tax-free - courtesy of their parent's council house. Is that what social housing policy is really all about?

Another issue is why she had to move from Ballyfermot in the first place.

Lenience then, lenience now.

Theres plenty of space in the arse end of connaught to send repeat offender types to live.

Squatter · 29-11-2018 11:49AM

greencap wrote: »

Theres plenty of space in the arse end of connaught to send repeat offender types to live.

I suspect that you are writing from bitter experience. As a matter of interest is your probation officer able to claim mileage for visiting you over there?

kneemos · 29-11-2018 11:53AM

Like winning the Lotto and giving it back a bit at a time forever.

greencap · 29-11-2018 11:53AM

Squatter wrote: »

I suspect that you are writing from bitter experience. As a matter of interest is your probation officer able to claim mileage for visiting you over there?

you got something against repeat offenders?

Graces7 · 29-11-2018 11:53AM

As a council tenant I am deeply offended by the gross generalising insults here.

Thought we had progressed past the idea that being poor was a disgrace?

If you can work, earn your living, buy a house, then you are blessed. So why carp at anyone else? Why not enjoy all you have?

eviltwin · 29-11-2018 11:54AM

I live in a council house, I bought it. I would say maybe 40% of the houses here are privately owned. I wonder do I get labelled a lazy scrounger because of my address?

Squatter · 29-11-2018 11:54AM

greencap wrote: »

you got something against repeat offenders?

Not really. I genuinely enjoy seeing my taxes given to defence lawyers under the free legal aid scheme.

Is getting a council house the equivalent of winning the lotto

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