Just had a leaflet through the office door saying council tenants, etc can get up to £102,700 towards the cost of buying their home (£77,000 outside London). Assuming the Tories get elected in May, will their term effectively spell the end for social housing in this country?

I don't imagine that everyone in social housing would be able to get a mortgage to cover any difference between the allowance and the sale price ?

No but I've heard it suggested that people be given their houses. That would know doubt happen when the stock has been depleted to next to nothing.

It wouldn't be a problem if the income derived from selling the houses, including the discount (because its come off a balance sheet somewhere) was handed over to the local authority to invest in replacement housing either of their own or used by a not for profit housing association - but as we know it simply goes in the pot and disappears.

Social Housing has become a dirty work, spoken with a sneer its become an insult and as we know from one user of these forums it is to be regarded as short term or even emergency housing - quite when that happened is unknown, its certainly an attitude that snuck up on all of us.

Spot on. Nothing wrong with the principle of Right to Buy but the subsequent defunding of social housing is scandalous and (along with pensions) has led to the big increase in the welfare bill through Housing Benefit.

I can't see how the right to buy is a good idea when it will cost more to replace the house that has been sold.

Try and sell your "cheap" house when there is no business or industry in your area and you need to move to get a new job.

One of that woman's and her cronies madder ideas that was thought through with the brain power of an amobea. Look at the consequences today of the "housing market" and the social divisions it has created.

It was aspirational, apparently, to have your own shiny new door on that ex-council property!!!
Plenty wanted a piece of it and I get their gig when plenty paid very little for them at the discounted price.
Not exactly the idea of what social housing was all about unfortunately.