Should kids live in tower blocks?

Well said Paddyann,

There is nothing wrong in living in tower blacks as long as they have decent facilities such as good lifts, and gardens to play in. When I was district nursing I remember visiting a young mum who had to manhandle her pram and baby down three flights of stairs...a nightmare.
You get the advantage of great views as well.

In Hong Kong, space is at such a premium they have to build upwards.
I think the housing crisis (lack of affordable housing and affluent older people buying up rural properties as second homes and sqeezing local families out of the housing market), is the real scandal here. It is the responsibility of the government.
Plus hanging onto green belt land, some of which is nothing more than ropey old derelict wasteland, that no-one would call attractive, is another scandal. Some of it needs to be built on and fast.
Stop vilifying people in larger properties who have worked hard for what they have.

I'm scared of heights, so I don't think anyone should live in tower blocks at any age!

Surely, it is time housing authorities build affordable flats or houses with access to playgrounds and parks?

I dislike the thought of people of any age being forced to move because they "have more room than they need", but on the other hand it is worth considering that too much room makes a house or flat more difficult to keep nice the older we get and gives much more room for keeping junk.

Making easily run accommodation available to those of us over a certain age and building new housing suitable for families would be the ideal solution, but as we don't live in an ideal world it isn't all that likely to happen any time soon.

'Turfing you out'...wow!!
Some people have spent years in beautifying their houses and gardens and making friends in tbe area. Should they be expected to start anew, sell many of their belongings so they can live in a hutch, lose their friends and neighbours and local services where they are known?
I disagree.
These people are in the later stages of life and are not always able to drive, walk far, make new friends. It's very disturbing. Their gardens are often a place of peace and enjoyment if they cxn't get out much. For many, it might mean a change of GP's surgery which can be upsetting.
It's a no from me. Stop handing out social housing to people who have no right to be here.

Oh, my phrase was a joke!!
I wouldn't turf anyone out.
In an ideal world, everyone would have the accommodation they need for life.
Like so many 'ideal' scenarios, the reality doesn't always match up.

There should be more small homes and bungalows built and made available for those who do want to downsize ( note I did not say be forced to move) . On the huge LA estate where my dad lives ( and my son used to live ) the Right to buy scheme meant that a large amount of the bungalow stock was sold off although not allowed any more it’s too late. They are of a decent enough size for a small family ( big rooms and some have huge gardens) leaving little left to rent . A desperate need of more to be built which could free up some larger homes.

It’s a very complex subject, I’ve lived in a tower block 13 floors up with 2 tots and no outside space to play, just a car park. We were very lucky to be offered a tiny 2 bed house when the youngest was 3, we then managed to save up and get on the housing ladder 5 years later.

A relative bought her LA home and made a very healthy profit, then moved out, but of course the LA lost that property when it was sold in the first place.

A work colleague was given a 3 bed. LA house 40 years ago, close to the local school, her children have long left home, she still works, her DH is a self employed builder and they still rent the same house, recently the LA modernised the house for them, new kitchen, bathroom etc. Should she move out, as they are hardly in need of LA housing are they? But she was born in the town, her aged mother is still nearby and she pays her rent etc.on time.

It does seem pretty pointless to build LA housing only for it to be sold off a few years later.

theres no right to buy in Scotland ,it ended last year .

Vickymeldrew Surely its up to parents living in tower blocks, obviously no garden for children to play in , to make sure their children get out and about in the fresh air. What are parks for? Open open air swimming pools in summer ? Isn't it about parents giving their children some of their time to take them to these green spaces and ensure they don't miss out on fresh air because they go to work or live in a tower block./How many children these days, and from a very early age. are more interested in their computer games ,phones and tablets.? garden or no garden. Do you really believe someone giving up a property with a garden will make that much difference to their lifestyle an extra room yes and I dispute anyone who says these tower block children are the ones out in the streets because they have no gardens. .Just take a trip around housing estates, social / private and with gardens.?

No one should have to live in a high rise flat unless they chose too; they are soul destroying, in my opinion. I would probably opt not to have children if that was my only option. The UK is overpopulated, the world is overpopulated. Until that problem is tackled, people who are adding to that situation by having more than two children will sometimes have to accept living where they can.

People who have worked hard and made sacrifices or just been lucky and can afford to buy properties should not be made to feel they have to give them up just because others don't have that luxury. We're back to the equality argument again. It'll never happen so just get on with life and be as happy as you can without the green eyed jealousy.

I've never thought that others should have to make way for me. I've gone from a council estate, factory workers' upbringing to owning a half a million pound house outright so others can do it too if they make the right choices in life. Sadly, many don't but just expect the state to provide them with everything.

MissAdventure there is a council house exchange list that you are able to join if you want to swap your property for something else.
I had 4 children,my DH and myself in a 3 bed house and although the three girls had to share the same room we were happy.
When my husband became ill the back part of our through room became his bedroom and the more equipment he needed the smaller my home seemed to get plus having the two carers in three times a day made it so crowded and gave my DH no privacy when he was having to be washed and changed,he had to wear pads as had no control over himself. We were told we would need to have a four bedroom house so he could have privacy but I am thankful that no came up as although yes it would be easier I had my memories there of him being well and didn’t want to leave them behind.
My three dd still live at home,one is 24 and my carer one is 22 with autism and my late arrival lol is 15,two still share a room but I do worry that once they move away I am going to have to move as our HA won’t allow more rooms than you need

In the 70s my 83 year old nan was rehoused on the 11th floor of a tower block, she was allowed to keep her old dog though. Nan was claustrophobic and couldn't do lifts and the dog was too old to manage the stairs, so nan used to put the dog in a wheely basket and take her up and down twice a day until the day Fluffy died. Totally inappropriate housing. I too returned from working abroad, having lost my house to a waster of an exhusband. I found myself a private rental flat but was soon rehoused by the council in a 2 bed bungalow due to my health needs in the prettiest village in England. I didn't need 2 bedrooms but there was no way I was going to turn it down!!

It's time to stop selling off social housing, stop building so many unaffordable 'affordable' housing and start building more social housing. The boom days of the 70s and 80s are gone, if buying your own house is almost impossible then it's vital that appropriate housing is supplied.

quizqueen, how stupid of me to choose to be a widow with two small children.

123coco mentions Thatcher. Thatcher, who decades ago decided we all should aspire to home ownership - whatever our circumstances - and buy our council houses at knockdown prices, while councils themselves had their power to build taken away from them. That meant fewer affordable houses available for families to rent - and more families in need placed in flats in tower blocks, which were known to be unsuitable. Since the 1980's many thousands of houses should have been built every year to replace the ones lost this way, and to meet newly identified need. They were not.

Now we are all suffering the far reaching consequences of the political and economic decisions made by those in power. We should not be blaming each other for the lack of choices available.

I myself now live in a what is known as a mixed tenure area. I own my house - which, yes, is now too big for me - but am in a low income area with few permanent jobs. In common with many others in the area, the house remains unsold. For the time being my disabilities are minor, and I am managing with occasional paid help cleaning and gardening. Eventually, no doubt,should I survive into old age, I will become a danger to myself. The local authority will be able to force me out and into residential care, sell my house (again at a knockdown price) and use the money from the house I worked hard for all my adult life to pay for my care.

Many people would be prepared to move from their homes if they could find a suitable property in their neighbourhood. It matters that you do not have to move miles away from the friends and support systems you have built up over many years, and which become even more important in older age. You are less of a cost to society, too, if you have these systems to rely on; especially if you have no family close by.
But bungalows everywhere are scarce - and so are at a premium. And in our rural area there are few flats and no tower blocks.

Once you're in Social Housing, they don't care how many occupants. DD was placed in a two-bedroomed house and it took the intervention from SS to get her a larger place when her family grew up.

Some years ago, after my father died, my mother was in a four bedroomed house. Council didn't want to know when she asked them for rehousing.

They expect you to arrange house swapping between yourselves!

My DD’s partner can’t sell his large 3 bedroomed house for what he owes on the mortgage (£70k) because in that area very few young people have secure enough jobs to get a mortgage or they are unable to raise a deposit . Sad that a family could be living in it .

Gilly, can’t they not rent it out ?

Oh Anniebach, you are argumentative today. Seems nobody can say anything to please you.

I wonder how big a garden these children in tower blocks think they’d get even if their parents could afford to buy. The new private estates have starter homes supposedly for families but the ‘gardens’ are tiny. A whirligig washing line and a picnic table and thats the space used up.

Developers don’t like building bungalows as they take up too much ground space.

No Aepgirl, I am bringing balance , ‘should children live in tower blocks ? No. Should the elderly be forced to leave their homes ? No.

Is everything in life achieved by choices ? No.

I've always thought it's better if children can have a garden to play in and not get under mum's feet while she's busy but space is a problem, isn't it?
Parks aren't always a good alternative, even in a nice area you can get trouble-makers gathering and being unpleasant.
I've always hated tower blocks and think it's no wonder we have social problems - people need to be closer to nature for their mental health and physical well-being.

We’ve looked at doing just that Annie and I have spoken to a few agents about it too. Firstly the house would need rewiring and a few other repairs . Also there is a lot of legislation surrounding private rentals these days that I don’t think he could cope with, plus tax implications etc. Additionally ( and probably the biggest reason ) is that he could not carry out even the most simplest of repairs if/when they arise and it would probably fall on my son or my DH and they have enough in their plate already .
Sadly he is having to pay full council tax on this empty property too. It’s crippling them.

I used to work for a housing association. It was frustrating trying to find properties big enough for a family when a girl or boy got to an age when (lawfully) they should not longer share with siblings of the opposite sex. We couldn’t demand that the elderly single person in the four bedroom house with large garden swop house with the family round the corner crammed into a two bed property.

I don’t think anyone should be forced to move against their will, but if help were given to make it easier and they could be sure of staying in the area, more people would be prepared to move. One elderly man I know would love to move but can’t face the upheaval. It would involve selling his property and he just can’t face the stress.

When I was a child the big LA estate we lived on had one bedroom “ granny flats” at the end of every block . The idea was that younger families would “ look after” their elderly neighbours and it worked very well . They were lovely little One up, one down . properties with A small shared garden that was looked after by the LA ( or my dad in the case of our neighbours) As time went on the LA stated renting these lovely little flats to (mainly) young lads who had been kicked out of the family home and they just went down hill rapidly . The one next door to my parents was set fire too in several occasions , windows boarded up etc.