What impact are the Welfare Reforms having on Brixton?

[soupdragon]

The govt's Welfare Reforms are about to destroy London as we know it.

They're already starting to have an impact for some people, but I don't think anyone knows what the scale might be.

It looks like all-out social cleansing.

Could any local organisations / activists give advice on what can be done in Brixton / Lambeth to defend people's homes?

http://www.cchpr.landecon.cam.ac.uk/Downloads/hb_reform_london_spatial_implications-cchpr2011.pdf

http://england.shelter.org.uk/__dat...y_for_low_income_private_renting_families.pdf

 

[quimcunx]

How has City of London gone from 80% affordable to 0% affordable in 2 years?

I'm surprised it was be 80% then, tbh.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

How is 'affordable' defined here?

 

[Kanda]

My flat in SW2 has been valued 20% more than when I bought it 2.5 years ago. If that's the case across the area, I'd say it's getting pretty bad!

 

[ViolentPanda]

My flat in SW2 has been valued 20% more than when I bought it 2.5 years ago. If that's the case across the area, I'd say it's getting pretty bad!

Some roads are doing better than others, but prices are definitely rising.

 

[ViolentPanda]

The govt's Welfare Reforms are about to destroy London as we know it.

They're already starting to have an impact for some people, but I don't think anyone knows what the scale might be.

It looks like all-out social cleansing.

Many of us in Lambeth could even make a good punt as to which neighbourhoods are currently "affordable", and which will still be "affordable" in 2016. They'll be mostly ones with higher concentrations of local authority social housing, such as Angell Town, St. Martin's, etc. Ghettoisation of the poor.

Could any local organisations / activists give advice on what can be done in Brixton / Lambeth to defend people's homes?

http://www.cchpr.landecon.cam.ac.uk/Downloads/hb_reform_london_spatial_implications-cchpr2011.pdf

http://england.shelter.org.uk/__dat...y_for_low_income_private_renting_families.pdf

The problem is that beyond making sure that private landlords are held to the conditions of the ASTs they grant, there's pretty much fuck-all that their tenants can do. The landlords can deliberately price their current tenants out of their homes.

 

[tommers]

I don't understand. Can you explain what this means? Why are the welfare reforms going to "socially cleanse" areas of london?

Is it the LHA changes? So people won't be able to afford to top up from the HB limits to their rent? And why does this mean rents won't decrease? Surely less people able to afford it means less demand doesn't it?

I'm not saying it won't happen, I'm just confused.

 

[leanderman]

Asked an estate agent in the street about Brixton prices. He said they were 15pc up this year alone.

Main reason was, he said, Lambeth's crackdown on conversions.

They used to get nine or so newly converted flats a month and now get next to none.

 

[nagapie]

My school services the Coldharbour ward and we've been told to expect an influx of potentially vulnerable children whose parents will be moving in from the rest of London, most of which is still more expensive than Lambeth.

 

[co-op]

Asked an estate agent in the street about Brixton prices. He said they were 15pc up this year alone.

Mind you, he's talking estate agent bollocks here.

 

[co-op]

Here you go, 2 minutes on the internet http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/15833138?search_identifier=17a021d4b101ecad0fce3db58ea7fb3e

Sold in 2009 for £290,000, on sale now for £250,000. And "under offer" apparently - I'd be amazed if anyone's offered full price, although there are plenty of mugs out there. I reckon they'd take £240k. I could find dozens of similar properties with losses in SW9 & SW2 if I had an hour or two to spare. Thank god they're coming down at last.

Anyway even if they get £250k that's a loss of £40k - about 14% - in 30 months. Nasty for whichever poor sap paid over the odds in 2009.

Estate agents are paid to talk property up, they are also anti-social wankers who habitually lie.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Here you go, 2 minutes on the internet http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/15833138?search_identifier=17a021d4b101ecad0fce3db58ea7fb3e

Sold in 2009 for £290,000, on sale now for £250,000. And "under offer" apparently - I'd be amazed if anyone's offered full price, although there are plenty of mugs out there. I reckon they'd take £240k. I could find dozens of similar properties with losses in SW9 & SW2 if I had an hour or two to spare. Thank god they're coming down at last.

Anyway even if they get £250k that's a loss of £40k - about 14% - in 30 months. Nasty for whichever poor sap paid over the odds in 2009.

Estate agents are paid to talk property up, they are also anti-social wankers who habitually lie.

But if yuppies are so desperate to live in trendy areas, who is to blame that they're willing to pay silly money for the privilege?

 

[co-op]

But if yuppies are so desperate to live in trendy areas, who is to blame that they're willing to pay silly money for the privilege?

Well I could probably bang on for a whole evening about who's to blame but I guess my point is that estate agents giving it the large one about 'prices gone up by 15% in the last year' is just a loada shit. Whoever bought that flat above has lost over a £1000 per month on top of whatever they paid in mortgage repayments.

 

[leanderman]

Here you go, 2 minutes on the internet http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/15833138?search_identifier=17a021d4b101ecad0fce3db58ea7fb3e

Sold in 2009 for £290,000, on sale now for £250,000. And "under offer" apparently - I'd be amazed if anyone's offered full price, although there are plenty of mugs out there. I reckon they'd take £240k. I could find dozens of similar properties with losses in SW9 & SW2 if I had an hour or two to spare. Thank god they're coming down at last.

Anyway even if they get £250k that's a loss of £40k - about 14% - in 30 months. Nasty for whichever poor sap paid over the odds in 2009.

Estate agents are paid to talk property up, they are also anti-social wankers who habitually lie.

I hope you are right (that it is just hype).

Certainly, it feels a bit like 2007, with people paying over the odds.

 

[co-op]

I hope you are right (that it is just hype).

Certainly, it feels a bit like 2007, with people paying over the odds.

You might be right about people paying over the odds, which is sad for them as they might get really burnt. There's meant to be a bit of a sudden jump in buying under the £250k threshold because of the stamp duty holiday (which ends sometime in March I think) but tbh I don't have any great knowledge about the day to day reality of it, I just have the occasional look online at prices. But if you know anyone who's thinking of buying, especially first timers, I'd get them to have a good think first.

 

[Rushy]

Well I could probably bang on for a whole evening about who's to blame but I guess my point is that estate agents giving it the large one about 'prices gone up by 15% in the last year' is just a loada shit. Whoever bought that flat above has lost over a £1000 per month on top of whatever they paid in mortgage repayments.

The 15% rise is very real - I've seen some RICS surveyor valuations in Brixton go up by as much as 25% since April last year. There is not a huge amount of good stuff on the market and a lot of people are after the same places. Half decent flats are selling before the particulars have even been drawn up and lots of buyers are facing sealed bids.

I checked out the example you posted and I am fairly certain that the advertised flat is not the same one which sold in 2009 for 290K. Zoopla says 34A sold for 290K in 2009 but if you check planning records here you'll see that 34A is a 2 bed ground floor with a garden. The flat for sale on Zoopla for 250K (under offer) is a 1 bed first floor with access to a communal roof space.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Isn't 'affordable' usually related to rentals anyway?

 

[Kanda]

About 3 two bed flats around my area sold for asking price very recently, as high as 390k!!

 

[quimcunx]

Isn't 'affordable' usually related to rentals anyway?

When new builds with x number of units or more go up they're meant to be obliged to have some 'affordable' flats in there. Quite what that means I don't know but had thought it was probably something to do with keyworkers..... split rent/mortgage type stuff.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

About 3 two bed flats around my area sold for asking price very recently, as high as 390k!!

A friend of mine sold his house recently. Was snapped up within a week of him putting it up for sale

 

[Pickman's model]

How is 'affordable' defined here?

twice what you are able to pay

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

When new builds with x number of units or more go up they're meant to be obliged to have some 'affordable' flats in there. Quite what that means I don't know but had thought it was probably something to do with keyworkers..... split rent/mortgage type stuff.

I haven't quite figured out if these disgusting looking flats in Coldharbour Lane are supposed to be affordable. Some are shared ownership, but I don't fully understand it

Fabrik comprises of 108 homes, 65 of these which will be available to buy through shared ownership.
You can also find out more and follow the build progress of Fabrik at www.fabrikhomes.com

Eligibility
Anyone living or working in London earning under £60k is eligible to buy at home Fabrik. Priority will be given to people living or working in Lambeth.

Minimum income

For a one-bedroom apartment your household income must be at least £26,480.

For a two-bedroom apartment your household income must be at least £34,563.

For a three-bedroom apartment your household income must be at least £42,226.

http://www.findaproperty.com/for-sale/property-8969148

Handy for KCH workers I suppose

 

[Pickman's model]

handy for interloping yups i note

 

[quimcunx]

I passed them today and didn't find them nearly as objectionable as they looked in the pics. The light was fading at that point though.

So I'd be able to to buy part of a one bedroom flat. Great.

12 years ago I could afford all of a two bedroom flat. Lucky for me I did buy at that time.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I passed them today and didn't find them nearly as objectionable as they looked in the pics. The light was fading at that point though.

So I'd be able to to buy part of a one bedroom flat. Great.

12 years ago I could afford all of a two bedroom flat. Lucky for me I did buy at that time.

Is the "part of a 1-bed flat" the £75k price? I couldn't quite make that out. And if you're only paying £75k, why do you need to earn at least £26K?

 

[leanderman]

The 15% rise is very real - I've seen some RICS surveyor valuations in Brixton go up by as much as 25% since April last year. There is not a huge amount of good stuff on the market and a lot of people are after the same places. Half decent flats are selling before the particulars have even been drawn up and lots of buyers are facing sealed bids ...

My niece has been looking at places and this is exactly what she reports. Plus there's lots of anecdotal evidence of Brixton becoming popular with 'young' people like her.

 

[quimcunx]

I'm now pissed off and blame this thread. the % increases don't seem to be happening to my block of flats*.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I'm now pissed off and blame this thread. the % increases don't seem to be happening to my block of flats*.

That's 'cos nobody wants to live next door to a demolition or building site

 

[quimcunx]

Look, that's a bit unfair. It's just a bit untidy. I'll go round with a bin bag tomorrow night and do my washing up too.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

remove the hoardings while you're at it so I can watch