RAS Housing

jellyjaws08

Hi All,

Myself and partner are on the 2 bed list with the council (1 child boy) and are ready to be housed,recently got a letter stating that i must get our landlord to sign up for ras or they will find me a house that is already signed up if not we will lose our place on the list.. thing is we are due a baby girl in 2 wks time which quailfies us to be brought onto the 3 bed list..

Council said our file is open now an will be delt with and must take up ras which i don't want to as if i do we are removed from any other list as we are deemed housed, can they force us into ras??? They said i have to take ras as that is all that is available and once i do i will always be in a ras house wit no chance of getting a council house. The thought of moving every couple of yrs is killing me..

Any suggestions ?????

ballyharpat

I am pretty sure that RAS sign up the houses for a long period of time. If it were me, I would be saying, wow, I am actually being helped by the government to have a roof over my head for my partner and my two children.
There are many people working full time, that have families and rent their houses, they are more likely to have to move than you, and they are paying every cent of rent due.......just putting things in perspective so that you won't die

Gatling

Sounds like you already signed up to the ras scheme when you first applied for housing ,
most ras leases are roughly 10 years ,
Consider its almost a minimum wait of 6-10 year wait on council housing you could find yourself in a tricky situation with rent allowances being reduced every year for the next few years id take the first place offered regardless of another child been conceived /born

Had a friend who was housed recently after 8 years on the ras scheme

Richard Dower

No... they are forcing her onto RAS so as they can get 1 more name off the waiting list. From the gist it seems the exact same thing that happened to me.

I was on RA through the health board, it was taken over by the council...they paid the rent supplement instead of the heath board. After 3 years they came and saif i must sign onto RAS and get the landlord to do the same.

If you dont sign up you cant clain RA or any rent supplement for a YEAR!
So they ARE forcing her onto RAS, so as they can get her name off the council waiting list.

She's right on all counts, she probably on the list for years edging closer to getting a proper house. It would be her house, do whatever she wants to it.

You ask anyone....they'd prefer a council house to a RAS property, which is just longer term renting....you cant do up the house, its not yours like a council house is.

Gatling wrote: »

Sounds like you already signed up to the ras scheme when you first applied for housing ,
most ras leases are roughly 10 years ,
Consider its almost a minimum wait of 6-10 year wait on council housing you could find yourself in a tricky situation with rent allowances being reduced every year for the next few years id take the first place offered regardless of another child been conceived /born

Had a friend who was housed recently after 8 years on the ras scheme

Richard Dower

Sadly, they can....its a blatant ploy to reduce the waiting list....if you dont sugn onto RAS you're rent supplement will be stopped and you wnt be able to reapply for a year..


Basically you're screwed no matter what, sign to RAS...you're taken off the housing waiting list. Dont sign....no RA for a year.

I and everyone else are royally ******

jellyjaws08 wrote: »

Hi All,

Myself and partner are on the 2 bed list with the council (1 child boy) and are ready to be housed,recently got a letter stating that i must get our landlord to sign up for ras or they will find me a house that is already signed up if not we will lose our place on the list.. thing is we are due a baby girl in 2 wks time which quailfies us to be brought onto the 3 bed list..

Council said our file is open now an will be delt with and must take up ras which i don't want to as if i do we are removed from any other list as we are deemed housed, can they force us into ras??? They said i have to take ras as that is all that is available and once i do i will always be in a ras house wit no chance of getting a council house. The thought of moving every couple of yrs is killing me..

Any suggestions ?????

Esoteric_

Richard Dower wrote: »

Sadly, they can....its a blatant ploy to reduce the waiting list....if you dont sugn onto RAS you're rent supplement will be stopped and you wnt be able to reapply for a year..


Basically you're screwed no matter what, sign to RAS...you're taken off the housing waiting list. Dont sign....no RA for a year.

I and everyone else are royally ******

You're still getting a heavily subsidized house for around 10 years. This gives the OP and her partner 10 years or so to re-train, wait out the recession, study or do whatever it takes to get better jobs.

A ten year lease at subsidized rates is extremely generous.

foggy_lad

Esoteric_ wrote: »

You're still getting a heavily subsidized house for around 10 years. This gives the OP and her partner 10 years or so to re-train, wait out the recession, study or do whatever it takes to get better jobs.

A ten year lease at subsidized rates is extremely generous.

I thought with the RAS scheme the council "undertake" to provide suitable rental accommodation for as long as the RAS applicant requires it. In effect they house you for the remainder of your life which still works out cheaper than building and maintaining a council flat or house for the same period!

ameee

The councils can't afford to buy houses anymore and are keeping their stock for the people the deem most in need of long term housing. Its terrible for families who can't afford to buy to never be able to settle and put down roots but that's the way it is now ras or long term leasing. We waited eight years for our house and we only got one of the few council houses going as i have a lot of hospital appointments to do with my joints.

Richard Dower

foggy_lad wrote: »

I thought with the RAS scheme the council "undertake" to provide suitable rental accommodation for as long as the RAS applicant requires it. In effect they house you for the remainder of your life which still works out cheaper than building and maintaining a council flat or house for the same period!

but its not a house, as in a permanent and stable home...under RAS you are a longer term renter, but you are still affected by market forces such as the landlord decides to sell etc.

Even if a RAS landlord signs a 50 year contract....if two years down the line he decides to sell, yer out on your arse!

They can break contract, a council house is not effected by market forces...you can do it up, alter it etc. You cant do that with RAS.

The OP was saying about dreading moving every two years....she was thinking what i think, you could get turfed out at anytime.

If the council cut budget and cut the weekly rent rate...they'll FORCE you to move to someplace that is within the new rate.

I really feel for the OP...its horrible the worry and insecurity and the lack of control over something as basic as a roof over your head,

ballyharpat

I hate to point out the obvious to you,- you know the country is in recession, there are a lot of people that are going to lose the homes that they cannot pay for, and will be living in rented accommodation and paying full whack for a long time. The taxpayer is being screwed and you want us to provide a free house to everyone that goes to the trouble of putting their names on a list? WHat makes one deserve a council house for life? am I missing something?

Many people are at the behest of market forces, if rent goes up, if they lose their job, then they have to find accommodation that meets their needs and their financial position.......

Just call me captain obvious :cool:

Richard Dower wrote: »

but its not a house, as in a permanent and stable home...under RAS you are a longer term renter, but you are still affected by market forces such as the landlord decides to sell etc.

Even if a RAS landlord signs a 50 year contract....if two years down the line he decides to sell, yer out on your arse!

They can break contract, a council house is not effected by market forces...you can do it up, alter it etc. You cant do that with RAS.

The OP was saying about dreading moving every two years....she was thinking what i think, you could get turfed out at anytime.

If the council cut budget and cut the weekly rent rate...they'll FORCE you to move to someplace that is within the new rate.

I really feel for the OP...its horrible the worry and insecurity and the lack of control over something as basic as a roof over your head,

jellyjaws08

Any person is entitled to put their name on the council list, with a council house you pay 10 per cent of your wkly income which is rent so if your on social or work fulltime thats the rate across the board.

I know they dont have the funds to build but they leave house's barred up not willing to repair and give out to people, yet their willing to pay a landlords morgage for the next 10 yrs..

Then you have the people that are in a council house but not happy with the area so they they go on the transfer list and eventually get another council house where there is people like me willing to take a house in any area but are told NO sorry take ras or feck off basicall

D3PO

jellyjaws08 wrote: »

Any person is entitled to put their name on the council list, with a council house you pay 10 per cent of your wkly income which is rent so if your on social or work fulltime thats the rate across the board.

I know they dont have the funds to build but they leave house's barred up not willing to repair and give out to people, yet their willing to pay a landlords morgage for the next 10 yrs..

Then you have the people that are in a council house but not happy with the area so they they go on the transfer list and eventually get another council house where there is people like me willing to take a house in any area but are told NO sorry take ras or feck off basicall

boo hoo. Get off your fecking high horse the council are providing you housing weather it be RAS or a council house its still housing for you and quite frankly your in a far less stressful place than somebody renting privately or joe soap whos in heavy mortgage arrears worrying about their future.

If your not happy with the circumstances then go do something about it and improve your lot so you can buy or rent privately. Just because your willing to take any house doesn't mean you should get any house.

miss no stars

D3PO wrote: »

boo hoo. Get off your fecking high horse the council are providing you housing weather it be RAS or a council house its still housing for you and quite frankly your in a far less stressful place than somebody renting privately or joe soap whos in heavy mortgage arrears worrying about their future.

If your not happy with the circumstances then go do something about it and improve your lot so you can buy or rent privately. Just because your willing to take any house doesn't mean you should get any house.

This exactly. The entitlement of people is unreal.

You'll be getting a 2 bed house/apartment. You've yourself, partner and 1 kid with another on the way. 2 in each bedroom. Works perfectly. Why the hell should you get a 3 bed council house simply because you decided to have another kid, DESPITE not being able to provide for the one you have already. And sorry, but if you can't rent privately/purchase a house, then that's the truth, you cannot independently provide for the child you already have.

It was your choice - not the council's - to have another child. Take the RAS house and for goodness sake be happy with it. You've been given a house for feck all, with security for a good number of years. Enough years to get on your feet and earn enough to provide for those you bring into the world.

murphaph

Beggars can't be choosers seems apt for this thread. People moaning about being housed because the way the rest of society houses them is not to their taste.

jellyjaws08

miss no stars wrote: »

This exactly. The entitlement of people is unreal.

You'll be getting a 2 bed house/apartment. You've yourself, partner and 1 kid with another on the way. 2 in each bedroom. Works perfectly. Why the hell should you get a 3 bed council house simply because you decided to have another kid, DESPITE not being able to provide for the one you have already. And sorry, but if you can't rent privately/purchase a house, then that's the truth, you cannot independently provide for the child you already have.

It was your choice - not the council's - to have another child. Take the RAS house and for goodness sake be happy with it. You've been given a house for feck all, with security for a good number of years. Enough years to get on your feet and earn enough to provide for those you bring into the world.

Who the the **** are you ta say i cant provide for my kid, i have rented privately for a long time but unfortunly i can not do it at d moment.. I've been on the council list long before my 1st child was born and am entitled to do so like any other person in the country.. I've paid enough tax over the years and will pay more as soon as im fit to return to work, why the hell should i just accept a ras house wen all the ****in people that are from every where but ireland and the junkie/alcoholic pests get a choice where to live..

ballyharpat

If you could provide for your kid without a government handout, then you wouldn't have put your name on the list in the first place. I doubt that your taxes will do enough to pay back what you are costing the state, if you were paying that much tax, you wouldn't get a council house in the first place.

jellyjaws08 wrote: »

Who the the **** are you ta say i cant provide for my kid, i have rented privately for a long time but unfortunly i can not do it at d moment.. I've been on the council list long before my 1st child was born and am entitled to do so like any other person in the country.. I've paid enough tax over the years and will pay more as soon as im fit to return to work, why the hell should i just accept a ras house wen all the ****in people that are from every where but ireland and the junkie/alcoholic pests get a choice where to live..

Rev Hellfire

jellyjaws08 wrote: »

why the hell should i just accept a ras house wen all the ****in people that are from every where but ireland and the junkie/alcoholic pests get a choice where to live..

Perhaps those unfortunate people have a greater need for a house off the list.
Your dealing with a shrinking resource and a greater demand, it simply may be that others at present have a more urgent claim.

astrofool

I'd imagine over time a lot of social housing will move over to RAS schemes, states will no longer be able to give away housing for free (or basically free) as the cost of sustaining an aging population starts to mount, UK has started dealing with this with social welfare reform and extra bedrooms tax, Ireland will eventually reach the same conclusion (via some future bailout when we run out of money again as our politicians can't make hard decisions).

jellyjaws08

ballyharpat wrote: »

If you could provide for your kid without a government handout, then you wouldn't have put your name on the list in the first place. I doubt that your taxes will do enough to pay back what you are costing the state, if you were paying that much tax, you wouldn't get a council house in the first place.

You are so misinformed about the council list, seriously you can work 60 hr wks or be on social and be on the list, it's not just for unemployed people that dont pay taxes it's for who ever wants to apply...

ck83

jellyjaws08 wrote: »

You are so misinformed about the council list, seriously you can work 60 hr wks or be on social and be on the list, it's not just for unemployed people that dont pay taxes it's for who ever wants to apply...

I'm fairly certain there's criteria based on income too though... It wouldn't make sense otherwise. Council housing is for people who can't afford to buy, according to the citizens info website.

murphaph

jellyjaws08 wrote: »

You are so misinformed about the council list, seriously you can work 60 hr wks or be on social and be on the list, it's not just for unemployed people that dont pay taxes it's for who ever wants to apply...

Yeah but that wasn't his point. He simply said that people who can afford to house themselves don't (or shouldn't) apply for social housing that is paid for by other taxpayers.

At the end of the day a 2 bed is fine for a family of your composition. 2 young children do not need separate bedrooms and the rest of your fellow citizens can't afford to over-accommodate your family as they have their own bills to pay.

No Pants

jellyjaws08 wrote: »

The thought of moving every couple of yrs is killing me..

Can you imagine?

jellyjaws08

ck83 wrote: »

I'm fairly certain there's criteria based on income too though... It wouldn't make sense otherwise. Council housing is for people who can't afford to buy, according to the citizens info website.

Yes they say its 10 per cent off your income per wk so it differs from person to person.. Council houses are directed at people who are on low income but do accept anybody on the list, many people do buy their homes eventually from the council.

ck83

jellyjaws08 wrote: »

Yes they say its 10 per cent off your income per wk so it differs from person to person.. Council houses are directed at people who are on low income but do accept anybody on the list, many people do buy their homes eventually from the council.

No. What I meant was that according to the citizens info website, if your income is above a certain amount, you can't apply for local authority housing. I'd link it, but I'm technologically challenged

The_Conductor

ck83 wrote: »

No. What I meant was that according to the citizens info website, if your income is above a certain amount, you can't apply for local authority housing. I'd link it, but I'm technologically challenged

Table with all the income limits here

Note- its a PDF doc- and is the 2011 revised limits, with all council areas prescribed by the Department.

ck83

The_Conductor wrote: »

Table with all the income limits here

Note- its a PDF doc- and is the 2011 revised limits, with all council areas prescribed by the Department.

Yes. That's the one. Thanks!

jellyjaws08

Well ya learn something new everday!!!!

wmpdd3

If a council house is 10% of the income say per week then this looks to be a much better situation than a RAS house.

A friend has a RAS house and they both work part time and have a child, their rent is €84 per week, that's 22% of their weekly income.

foggy_lad

wmpdd3 wrote: »

If a council house is 10% of the income say per week then this looks to be a much better situation than a RAS house.

A friend has a RAS house and they both work part time and have a child, their rent is €84 per week, that's 22% of their weekly income.

Council rent works out at 20% of total household income above a disregard figure which is calculated based on the number of adults and children in the house.The rent for a single unemployed person should be approximately €30 if that person gets a job they would pay rent on their income above the social welfare rate at 20%

downonthefarm

dont they means test the gross income?
we got three bed council back when we only had one child,now we have three and will try to buy next year,is this ras scheme just for the waiting list folk?

foggy_lad

downonthefarm wrote: »

dont they means test the gross income?
we got three bed council back when we only had one child,now we have three and will try to buy next year,is this ras scheme just for the waiting list folk?

You may be means tested when waiting for a council house in order to assess your level of need, but when you get one they cant turf you out if you suddenly win the lottery or get a job in the bank. Ras is totally different to council housing because you are renting from a private landlord but it is facilitated or administered by the council and you pay council rates for your rent to the council and they then pay the balance to your landlord.