Should kids live in tower blocks?

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.

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

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.

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.?

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

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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

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.

Well said Paddyann,

Can I add that in Scotland people who live in council houses have never been looked down on the way I see on here from my friends in the south .

Here in the isle of man when allocated a council house you just have a five year tenancy,after five years if your circumstances have changed i.e..your family have left home you will be offered a smaller property,also we don't have the right to buy.

but they are renting a home "like the rest of us" they're renting from their LA ,in the main most older people have maintained their homes and looked after their gardens they pay council tax and they have been good tenants.Why should they have to move given that they have fufilled the terms of their tenancy?
Aren't we all up in arms about private tenants not having secure tenancies? So whats different here ? The bedroom tax has been mitigated by the Scottish government so people dont have to pay it...it costs Scottish taxpayers £400 million a year ,I have never heard anyone complain about paying towards keeping their elderly parents or friends in a slightly bigger home than they "need" and dont needs change frequently?
Its about being secure in later life and not having the worry of eviction hanging over their heads ,being moved away from family and friends .That causes multiple problems for the evictee and their families.
An awful lot of older people have council houses because they didn't have the income or the opportunity to buy .

oh dear no 'but'

Aepgirl, lucky you. I had no chance to buy a house, widow with two small children, then carer for years for my parents, took part time jobs to fit in.

Grampie, tenants cannot move into larger properties, I am not allowed a two bedroom property .

I would pay a garden tax if it means I can keep my dogs.

It is so easy to dismiss council tenants isn’t it?

I have to pay a taxes on the size of my flat, if I don't have enough income to cover the cost I will have to down size even though it is the family home which I have updated. I will not be subsidized by the council for the upkeep. It will be a very very sad day when I have to move but I am the owner of my flat. I do get annoyed when people in HLMs (French council housing) think because they have done the same as me think but they have the right to stay.

I don’t think bedroom tax applies if your over a certain age Grampie ( pensioner ??) I know my dad doesn’t pay it on his 2 bedroom adapted bungalow . Happy to be corrected though .

No child should n in high rise apartments but unfortunately, successive governments have failed in their house building policies particularly REALLY AFFORDABLE housing. We should all be marching on parliament to put this wrong right.

I’m not sure if the so called bedroom tax freed housing for needier families but can you imagine any politician proposing a garden tax for tenants without children living with them?

Instead we have a public housing system that encourages well-off tenants to stay-put and bid for larger more desirable properties instead of encouraging them to go buy or rent a home like the rest of us.

Labour’s 1959 manifesto promise to allow tenants to buy their council home didn’t help either; especially as Maggie stole their policy idea 20 years later.

Sorry but I did my share of living in very grotty flats years ago and although I am very socially aware and vote labour I’m fed up of hearing how lucky we have been. I never had anything easy or the bank of mum and dad. I will not downsize as it toook so long and so much hard work to get here. So I have more bedrooms than I need but they are used for other purposes. Its the government who should be taking full responsibility for this! There was no outrage when I had to live in flats not fit for purpose and v v expensive. That was the a Thatcher era when I wasn’t able to get a job as a newly qualified teacher because of cut backs. I didn’t get a full tine job or contract for 5 yrs even though I was the first year of graduate teachers! And I was 25 when I left college so I was nearly 30 before I had a full time permanent job and no luxury of a 2-4% mortgage. ! I didn’t have it easy like the papers say about our generation!

Some families don’t have a choice. There are always open spaces/parks around for them to enjoy and which are free to visit.

Why are GN's getting so nasty? In an ideal world everybody should have a home with a garden. I'm sick of people telling me that I am lucky to own my own home. I'm 73, divorced, still working part-time, so 'luck' has nothing to do with it. In my view council houses should be for those who REALLY need them, not those who have not helped themselves in earlier years.

Since one of my children moved out myn house is too big for three of us. They will have to drag me out of it in a box.