Oh God spare me the lying Prime Minister

The reasons that this is nonsense is a long list.

If a tenant had a sufficent deposit, they would not be in receipt of UC.

Osborne investigated this when it was proposed by Cameron, and the Housing Associations agreed; as long as their massive debt was taken on.

No mortgage lender is going to be interested.

Has the whole cabinet had an attack of amnesia and forgotten about the sub prime mortgage disaster? Sunak, as one of the Deutsche Bank gangsters certainly should remember, as should Sunak.

How does removing affordable rented properties from the rental market help anyone?

I can't even be bothered to get angry about this nonsense, it is just same old, same old bo**ox day after day.

This idea of selling housing association homes rearing its head again reminded me of this File on 4 programme from 2016 about the amount of fraud involved in right to buy - billions of pounds of public assets already lost to developers and money launderers.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b07gfjhr

Do we trust this government, seasoned as it is in wasting public money, mired in corruption and not averse to using dirty money itself to further its own ends? Can we trust it will put into place the necessary safeguards to ensure that this latest scheme isn’t just an upscaled opportunity for speculators and fraudsters which will leave vulnerable people out on the streets?

I've read all 3 pages of comments on this thread so far. Not one is agreeing with Johnson. It is a "dead cat or red meat" as he likes to call it to distract from his failure as a PM.
Gransnet I would say at a guess has older commenters. Traditionally Tory voters are older people. Not looking good for him is it?

I remember when essential workers like nurses and social workers could get access to special low rate mortgages and even support with buying run down houses in London to renovate. I think it was run by the council but not sure, just recall colleagues buying locally with a bit of help, and despite being badly paid, nurses could still manage to get their own place. There was also inexpensive hospital accommodation available which eased the burden and enabled people to save up a deposit. It certainly encouraged NHS employees to stay in their jobs as there was hope for the future. I can't imagine anyone wanting that sort of very stressful job now, pay being so poor and rents sky high with no hope of it getting better.

"Struggling to understand how this proposed sell off of housing association homes to people receiving housing benefit (and little capital for a deposit) will work."

Housing benefit is only paid for rent, not mortgages.
So there'd need to be a change made there.

Of course, it's only Johnson's words so nothing will actually happen but he'll say it did.

As far as those on low income/means tested benefits are concerned, this is a disaster waiting to happen.

The biggest group of food bank users are those on UC (working or not) and if they can't (as they say) afford to eat and pay for energy etc. how on earth can they pay the costs of homeownership?

It's not just about the mortgage, it's also about HA service charges, possible lease charges, and things like the roof needing repair.

Johnson didn't appear to know that banks require substantial deposits for home purchase, and that if a person had over £16k in the bank, they wouldn't be getting UC/housing element.

His next suggestion was lending them or gifting them a deposit...

What could possibly go wrong? ?

For anyone on a low income, they are far better off, if they rent a HA property, just sticking how they are.

They have security of tenure, and most HAs are happy for tenants to carry out home improvements.

UC can be a fluctuating, flaky benefit, which already causes confusion and stress to claimants. Trying to pay a regular mortgage will add to the stress.

The only way to ease the pressure on affordable housing is to build more social housing. That will create more supply, drive down the rents on private tenancies, and lessen the benefits bill.

For first time buyers/renters around here, it's impossible.

Private rents are extortionate, and first time buy flats sold a couple of weeks ago cost £475k - which most young people can't afford.

We have thousands, in the London/Kent areas, stuck in hotels, hostels, bedsits for months/years.

Or moved to the other end of the country, where rents are cheaper, but where they have no support.

We will have a real crisis soon if we don't start building true affordable housing - for rent and purchase.

Those council houses would have been built at a much lower density than is the case with either market or affordable housing today wwm. Land prices have rocketed.

flump

Anyone seen the latest "Led by Donkeys" video? It's only when a list of Johnson's life and lies are presented chronologically that it reinforces what an absolute b-----d he is.

twitter.com/i/status/1534059039994298368
Here it is.

You know there was a time when governments were much more enlightened regarding the right to be housed in decent accommodation.

Near me is what was once a council estate, now sold off and no longer available for the poorer members of our community, and yesterday I walked through it.

My goodness it is much better than a lot of the little boxes now being put up as “affordable housing”

They are at a guess 3 bedroomed well built houses with lovely mature trees and areas of grass all around. It is very pleasant indeed.

The Tory idea of privatising living accommodation simply resulted in so many living in dreadful conditions at exorbitant rent. Money for the renters, poverty, and ill health for those least able to help themselves in our community.

Esspee

In Glasgow there seems to be wild enthusiasm for building student accommodation (the modern day single end), while on the outskirts it is all detached 4 and 5 bedroom luxury homes.
Little is being built between those two extremes as far as I can see.
The Conservative Party think the heads of the hoi polloi button up the back.

It's the same in Bath and in many cities with one or more universities. I frequently hear complaints from parents and grandparents that the city gives permission for homes for students from all over the world but not for people born there. Many less expensive flats are bought as buy-to-lets for student multi-occupancy. Most new builds are luxury flats with extra bathrooms, beyond the reach of young families.
Why should housing associations be forced to sell their assets to tenants who are honestly not in a financial position to buy? And what will happen if the new owner cannot pay the mortgage? This scheme reduces the number of good rental properties available which cannot be a good thing. We all saw what happened when a certain M. Thatcher introduced the right to buy - for a few it was successful but many lost their homes. And the eventual result has been a large reduction in the amount of social housing available for those who really need it.

Reading the generic letter from my MP again it dawned on me she uses the same tactics. Don’t answer the question but divert it to something else. I’m going to contact her again and ask her why she didn’t answer my questions.

Lies, lies and more lies!! It seems the tories on the payroll and their 'leader' will go to any lengths to stay in power.
It seems any semblance of integrity and honesty are long gone. Narcs will do ANYTHING to stay in power.
I watched I, Daniel Blake again last night. That's the unjust reality of many people in these British countries today. ( I object to it being called 'this country'. Its actually 4 countries)

Boris Trump!!

I went into buying my home in 2001 when I had a pretty decent NHS job.
I must point out that I'm disabled and was originally able to work but my health did deteriorate until I was made redundant in 2011 and I have been on ESA since then.
My mortgage company went bust a couple of years later and everyone was migrated across to another company who increased the interest rates.
Those who were working were able to escape the ridiculous rates by moving to another provider but anyone on benefits (like me) was locked into this company.
I wasn't able to move to another provider due to not being able to work and not having a salary, so I've been stuck having to pay around 4% above everyone else's mortgage interest rates purely because my income came via benefits instead of a job.
I agree with the majority of PPs about not letting people on benefits 'start' to buy homes because if you're on benefits you're only allowed to have £6k in savings before the DWP will reduce your benefits, so I suspect the vast majority wouldn't have enough saved to pay a deposit and 100%+ mortgages are a massive risk for the lenders.
BUT, what I would like to see is for mortgage lenders to look at people in similar situations to myself and allowing them to 'move' their mortgages to one with a more favorable interest rate. Those people on benefits who had taken out mortgages BEFORE ending up on benefits are being 'locked into' mortgages once their fixed rate deals come to an end and find themselves struggling with high interest rates and are unable to move to another deal.
It's always the same, those who are least able to pay, have the biggest bills.
I will add that everything I've said above would be wonderful to see.
Fortunately, none of it would apply to me any longer as I have recently managed to (eventually) pay my mortgage off in full by paying tiny bits extra (sometimes as little as £5) each month, which has cut a few years and a reasonable amount of interest off my overall bill, but I would have been really grateful for such a move back in the day.

It’s the most bonkers idea Johnson has shared with the voters since the previous bonkers idea.
This one though is an outrage, it’s beyond me that anyone can believe Johnson and his advisors have any understanding of ordinary lives or what the country needs.
The idea that hard working people who live insecurely in private rented accommodation, would support this proposal shows how out of touch he is.

We need to build more social housing, provide people with good quality accommodation, secure tenancies and affordable rents. Cameron tried the scheme Johnson is re-cycling. I think it was trialed in the Midlands. Few people in housing association properties wanted to buy. They were paying affordable rents, security of tenancy and all repairs done by the housing association.

Anyone seen the latest "Led by Donkeys" video? It's only when a list of Johnson's life and lies are presented chronologically that it reinforces what an absolute b-----d he is.

CaravanSerai, putting a pound in a box evey time Mr Johnson lies presupposes that you have many pounds to spare.

I would like to think you are that rich, but I doubt it. If you were, you wouldn't need to save in order to buy petrol or heat your house, even at the today's prices!

Most politicians think that the way to change something is to make a speech about it. Job done! I wouldn't expect Johnson to do any work on housing of course.

Where are all the millions that BJ said would be ploughed into the NHS after Brexit ?? Our poor NHS staff are on their knees and waiting times longer than ever. Why is this deluded buffoon allowed to get away with lie after lie after lie …. I just don’t understand it ?

Seriously, I'd like to know what this government thinks "substantial" means. Is the £4bn of unusable PPE which is now going to burned to "create energy" substantial? Is the £11bn Sunak is said to have wasted by paying too much interest on UK debt substantial. Are cabinet meetings spent playing an elite version of Monopoly? Only no-one ever goes to jail.

Whitewavemark2

I can imagine nearly everyone on UC will have a lot of money that they can save towards a deposit every week???

I saw a comment on Twitter yesterday, that if you have more than £16,000 in savings, you are no longer entitled to UC.

Given that the average deposit for a home is much higher than £16,000, how are those on UC ever going to have enough to purchase a home if their savings are held against them for future UC claims?

RichmondPark

Julia Hartley-Brewer hit the nail on the head by pointing out that when this government announce new policies there is a total absence of any meat on the bones of the policy.

All they say and do is nonsense.

You wonder how they’ve lasted as long as they have tbh. I guess Covid was a godsend in as much as they claim to be world beating etc, when in fact it is the scientists and NHS.

Btw when is the covid enquiry happening?

Julia Hartley-Brewer hit the nail on the head by pointing out that when this government announce new policies there is a total absence of any meat on the bones of the policy.

All they say and do is nonsense.

Cloud cuckoo land.

Juie Hartley Brewer on TalkTV wanting to tear out her hair trying to get anything other than gibberish from Gove like how many people this new proposal will "help".

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM0FQg6tInI

How many people is a substantial number? I think I heard him say they will look at bringing in measures to help people save more towards a deposit without affecting eligibility for benefits. Saving more during a cost of living crisis?

I can imagine nearly everyone on UC will have a lot of money that they can save towards a deposit every week???