Spare rooms. How to use altruistically

[bellaozzydog]

Not a virtue signalling exercise.
I’ve got a four bed house, the lodgers have just flown the coup. I was planning to just kick back in an empty house till next year.

But I want other people to benefit from my fairly good fortune.

I talked to refugees at home last year and they basically said thanks but no thanks, no Syrians fancy anywhere west of Bristol (which is fair enough) I’ve pinged them another email to see if that has changed.

I’ve contacted the local open door care leavers scheme. I think you share with a care leaver and mentor them in various ways.

Are there any other ways of using the spare rooms.

My caveat, which I think may generate some grumbling is that I am probably not equipped to deal with anyone with a complex drug/alcohol issues or chaotic lifestyles

So, just throwing it out there for some direction/ideas

 

[DotCommunist]

I saw some ads for these people just last week:

Nightstop UK | Depaulcharity

e2a, this probably wouldn't work with that caveat, ignore me

 

[SpookyFrank]

It's really not unreasonable to prefer your home to be free of problematic drink and drug use. By even considering opening your home up like this you're way ahead of what most people would bother doing, and you have every right to put limits on that.

I only know organisations working to house refugees locally to here I'm afraid, so can't really help with that.

 

[Chilli.s]

No virtue signalling at all, you are a star! Best of luck with it.

 

[Boudicca]

no Syrians fancy anywhere west of Bristol (which is fair enough)

Swanage have set up a whole scheme to accept refugees and loads of people have offered spare rooms, but they have only managed to persuade one Syrian family to move there. Which is a shame really, as it is a beautiful place and the welcome is there. My Syrian friend (who came to me via Refugees at Home) loves the outdoors and would love to live there, but there has to be work available too.

You could consider renting to people on benefit at the low rates set by the councils (the rate is £63pw here and the going rate is around £100).

There are organisations who do respite holidays for carers.

 

[quimcunx]

I was also going to suggest the DePaul charity. I looked into getting involved with them before going the refugee route. Sometimes they need safe places for young people who aren't getting on with step-parents and that sort of thing.

RAH might even work if any refugees fancy a holiday over Christmas! Sometimes hosts can't host over Christmas so they need somewhere short term.

 

[bellaozzydog]

I was also going to suggest the DePaul charity. I looked into getting involved with them before going the refugee route. Sometimes they need safe places for young people who aren't getting on with step-parents and that sort of thing.

RAH might even work if any refugees fancy a holiday over Christmas! Sometimes hosts can't host over Christmas so they need somewhere short term.

I’ve pinged them a message

 

[Manter]

Refugees at Home would be incredibly grateful if you could offer a refugee a room- 20-odd refugees on the urgent list at the moment....

De Paul are also fab- they do a night at a time and you need DBS. R@H don’t DBS, and host people for period of time

Edit again- R@H hosts people from 56 nationalities (and three flavours of stateless) and has hosted well west of Bristol recently... Oasis and Ashley Housing also worth contacting in that area... they sort of overlap in the middle. And have a look at Naccom for other local hosting groups.

Good luck- offering up your space is a brilliant thing to do

 

[twentythreedom]

Grow a load of weed and give it away

 

[19sixtysix]

Grow a load of weed and give it away

Allow the seagulls to nest on the roof

 

[twentythreedom]

Allow the seagulls to nest on the roof

Allow? Lol. They consider it their roof already, the cunts.

No mercy. Exterminate them with extreme prejudice

 

[Cid]

Use it to breed seagulls.

e2a: Honestly very few people are really equipped to deal with people who have complex problems, no-one should grumble about that.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Grow a load of weed and give it away

I think the market round here is saturated

 

[bellaozzydog]

Allow the seagulls to nest on the roof

Already got that covered. Noisy fuckers

 

[8ball]

My caveat, which I think may generate some grumbling is that I am probably not equipped to deal with anyone with a complex drug/alcohol issues or chaotic lifestyles

Worse than Hitler.

 

[Epona]

Accepting a lodger on benefits would also be worthwhile - a lot of agencies and private rents still have a "No DSS" type policy because of the time it takes for claims to go through, but if you are not in a rush for rent to be paid you could potentially help someone out a great deal.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Talked to Cornwall care leavers. My work routine rules me out of care leaver open door lodgers as they need someone at home all the time.

Emailed refugees at home again.

Likewise DePaul

I’m going to talk to the food bank coordinators for ideas.

There are plenty of people around with DHSS problems and no deposits

Onwards and upwards

 

[moomoo]

Oh, you’ve made my heart happy! Aren’t you just the loveliest thing?!

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

If you don't have any refugees wanting to stay where you are, do you have a theatre nearby? You could try letting rooms cheaply to actors and other production staff. People who are touring need cheap digs. Hotels and even some AirBnB's are unaffordable. Try asking theatres/arts centres if they have a digs list and to add you to it. And there are also groups on Facebook you can join and post/offer accommodation.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Many councils run a scheme for DSS people currently in emergency housing (usually shitty hostels). They move in and you are paid a fixed rate of housing benefit, and the council give a bond for the first year, but there is no deposit and you're paid the HB in arrears. There are loads of people stuck in this situation - no social housing stock for them, but no deposit or first month money to rent privately, even if a private landlord accepted them. It's not charity - you still get an income - but it's a needed thing nonetheless.

 

[Epona]

Many councils run a scheme for DSS people currently in emergency housing (usually shitty hostels). They move in and you are paid a fixed rate of housing benefit, and the council give a bond for the first year, but there is no deposit and you're paid the HB in arrears. There are loads of people stuck in this situation - no social housing stock for them, but no deposit or first month money to rent privately, even if a private landlord accepted them. It's not charity - you still get an income - but it's a needed thing nonetheless.

Aye this is the sort of thing I was thinking about when I mentioned taking folks on benefits as a lodger earlier - could be a real boon to someone and make a massive difference in their life.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Aye this is the sort of thing I was thinking about when I mentioned taking folks on benefits as a lodger earlier - could be a real boon to someone and make a massive difference in their life.

yep. It's really easy to do - a council bod does most of the work for you. Only caveat would be that I don't know how it works for a lodger as opposed to a whole house/flat. Would need to ask the council that - they would no doubt deduct some money from the rent for bills, but there's no reason you have to add that back on.

 

[Epona]

yep. It's really easy to do - a council bod does most of the work for you. Only caveat would be that I don't know how it works for a lodger as opposed to a whole house/flat. Would need to ask the council that - they would no doubt deduct some money from the rent for bills, but there's no reason you have to add that back on.

Oh I have not done it for a while, admittedly, but I have done in the past - it was very low hassle for me, there were one or two "big brother" style checks to make sure we weren't a couple (we weren't, so demonstrating that we lived in separate bedrooms only took a few minutes - it does feel a bit intrusive though) and the rent got paid and they had somewhere to live. They were a friend of a friend and it worked out fine. I have spent most of my life with housemates or lodgers in some way, shape, or form tbh.

 

[spanglechick]

If you don't have any refugees wanting to stay where you are, do you have a theatre nearby? You could try letting rooms cheaply to actors and other production staff. People who are touring need cheap digs. Hotels and even some AirBnB's are unaffordable. Try asking theatres/arts centres if they have a digs list and to add you to it. And there are also groups on Facebook you can join and post/offer accommodation.

Having been a touring actor on a v. Low per diem, the problem you describe is real... but actors aren’t in need of altruism, when compared with dss tenants.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

there were one or two "big brother" style checks to make sure we weren't a couple (we weren't, so demonstrating that we lived in separate bedrooms only took a few minutes

the other strand to demonstrating you're not a couple is to have clearly separate supplies in the kitchen cupboard

just one thought (not wanting to be the voice of doom) but may be worth checking with insurance / mortgage lender (as appropriate) that this isn't going to be an issue. i have heard the suggestion that some landlords won't let to tenants on benefits because their insurance and / or mortgage won't allow this.

 

[bellaozzydog]

the other strand to demonstrating you're not a couple is to have clearly separate supplies in the kitchen cupboard

just one thought (not wanting to be the voice of doom) but may be worth checking with insurance / mortgage lender (as appropriate) that this isn't going to be an issue. i have heard the suggestion that some landlords won't let to tenants on benefits because their insurance and / or mortgage won't allow this.

Incredibly having a criminal record bums out most normal house insurance you need to get “specialist” more expensive insurance

 

[Epona]

the other strand to demonstrating you're not a couple is to have clearly separate supplies in the kitchen cupboard

just one thought (not wanting to be the voice of doom) but may be worth checking with insurance / mortgage lender (as appropriate) that this isn't going to be an issue. i have heard the suggestion that some landlords won't let to tenants on benefits because their insurance and / or mortgage won't allow this.

Generally it is sub-letting the whole property that you need to get approval for from both mortgage lender and in some cases the local authority (eg in Newham where I am you may have to pay for a license annually to rent out property). Usually having a lodger does not fall under those brackets, if you own or have a mortgage. If you rent and take on a lodger then that needs to be cleared with your landlord, but usually having a lodger is a private arrangement as long as it doesn't fall within the bracket for income where you have to pay tax, OR of course if someone is on benefits - and then there is a definite need to make sure all the "I"s are crossed and all the "T"s dotted, to make sure all is completely above board.

In general your mortgage lender will not give a flying fuck about you having a lodger and will wonder why you bothered them about it (as long as you are the primary occupier and the mortgage is getting paid and it's not been turned into a brothel and there isn't a fire dancing act rehearsing that may have building insurance implications, they do not care if you have someone else live there with you as a lodger - subletting where you are not still in residence is of course a different matter).

 

[Puddy_Tat]

In general your mortgage lender will not give a flying fuck about you having a lodger and will wonder why you bothered them about it (as long as you are the primary occupier and the mortgage is getting paid and it's not been turned into a brothel and there isn't a fire dancing act rehearsing that may have building insurance implications, they do not care if you have someone else live there with you as a lodger -

must vary between lenders then - i know when i was considering it (with a previous lender - or may even have been somewhere i ended up not doing business with) they said they would want quite a bit of info, and a signed agreement between me and lodger using their own preferred form of words.

usually having a lodger is a private arrangement as long as it doesn't fall within the bracket for income where you have to pay tax

oh yes, that's worth thinking about as well. more here.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Brief update

Getting some feed back from county homeless charities in Cornwall who are basically saying come and chat to us after Christmas

No organisations looking to bite my hand off yet

I’m away 4th of January so this will be a slow burn project, which kind of lacks the immediacy/simple uncomplicated solutions I prefer I may lack patience

Asking around the food bank and local cafe that does good social stuff

In reality it shouldn’t be a seasonal thing, but Christmas at home for the first time in years drives the thought that a chilled out, safe, warm house should be shared out a bit

 

[bellaozzydog]

So offered a room to someone coming back to the country from abroad and needing to get back on their feet without much means and a zero hours contract

In reality it benefits me as much as them as I get a house sitter and some one to feed the fish.

Not the angry earth shattering, universe changing philanthropy I was envisaging but baby steps. Onwards and upwards

HAPPY NEW YEAR URBANS