I think the NZ government has over-reacted, responding to public pressure.
IMO they should introduce a law where foreign buyers can only purchase a home if they pay to build it - in other words to purchase the land and pay to use local labour to build the house from scratch.
Could have done that here toodata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Some governments/senior politicians are not able/allowed to think outside the box.
The policy was more to do with tackling the issues with crime ridden estates, homeownership has social costs and benefits to neighbourhoods such as, encouraging stability within families, good citizenship, being responsible for taking care of not only the home but the surrounding area, etc, etc.
Nothing wrong with policy but legislative changes after the financial crash have changed the criteria for lending, whether these changes had any merit who knows. They have certainly had a negative effect on the housing market.
So Kensington and Chelsea have the most unoccupied homes. But realistically we can't say that the man sleeping rough could easily move into one of those houses, because to buy/ lease or rent would be way out of his price range.
I agree there should be low cost housing, but that does bring problems as well. For councils to look after the properties, which are often not looked after by the tenants, is very costly. We have seen the cladding scandal exposed, and at some locations councils are paying for a fire engine to be on 24 hr standby. Generally councils are pretty poor at managing and getting value for money.
Well that's a nice spin on it.
To actually own your own home and be responsible for it, changes social attitudes. You would not see what we call'sink estates' any more.
The policy was all about enabling tenants, to actually step up the social and economic ladder and feel proud of their own home. The homes became well looked after. Councils did not have to spent our rates/ council tax on upkeep. Dare I say, crime was lowered?
Of course there were financial abuses - but there were also abuses of the council house system. High earners befitting from subsidised accommodation.
And the bottom line is that those homes did not vanish, they are still there. The numbers are the same.
Well that would only be true if you believed that Council houses were just the last resort for people with no other choices. Originally they were not designed for that and it was only the 1977 Homelessness Act that really turned Council Housing into the housing of those that couldnt do any better.
Perhaps we should think about returning to original principles?
That would be working class, low paid married couples with or without children who work for the local council and other government run or financed organisations (gas, electric, rail, telephones etc).
Not forgetting of course, back in those days, most large companies provided their own housing for working people.
Very unlikely that scenario would return because back in those days the British Empire provided the means to make the UK very rich in assets, industry and employment. Those days have long gone.
Not unless certain Foreign buyers find an easier place to launder money through. If they do, watch the bottom fall out of the housing market in London.
Apparently, if you are an ISIS terrorist you can get a council house! Do we seriously think they will be de-Jihadified
Only in Britaindata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Terror suspects including jihadis returning from fighting in Syria are to be offered taxpayer-funded homes, counselling and help finding jobs to stop them carrying out attacks in Britain.
The top-secret Government strategy, codenamed Operation Constrain, could even allow fanatics to jump to the top of council house waiting lists.
Official documents seen by The Mail on Sunday reveal that up to 20,000 extremists previously investigated by MI5 will be targeted with what critics last night described as ‘bribes’ aimed at turning them away from extremism.
Council house 'bribes' for UK terror suspects | Daily Mail Online
don't they have enough empty safehouses for them in RBKC