Would you/are you embarrassed to live in a council house?

Reputable Rog

Circumstance is circumstance, why be embarrassed about growing up or living in a council estate ?
At least you can be assured that for the large part your home has been built to a much higher standard than most privately built developments in this country.

techdiver

I grew up in a council estate for the first 12 years of my life. Whilst I would not like to ever live there again, I wear it as a badge of honour somewhat as I came from there to Third Level Education and now, many years down the line have a good job and am living in a "nice part of town".

I never hide this fact and will regularly tell people about it. I'm well balanced though, I have a chip on both shoulders.

Bongalongherb

I lived in a council house for 14 years growing up and I was never embarrassed, and am still not embarrassed to admit it. It was one hell of a rough place though but lived through it reasonably well because there were a lot of decent folk there as well. It was in Darndale of all lovely places. Never be embarrassed in regards to where you live, at least folk have a roof over their head as it could be worse.

Isaiah

MayBea wrote: »

I was talking to a nurse in a hospital recently, she mentioned her rent (she lives in a 2-bed council flat in SCD with her child) is 60 euro a week whereas her salary is 45k. I understand the rent is close to being 10% of the this person's total income.

This is where the system fails and is being exploited.

I believe the rent is 17% of your income in a council house. However it's capped at 400 per month last time I checked.

A working person on 45k does not need social housing.

fussyonion

I grew up in a council house and I never felt embarrassed to admit I lived in one.

I never had any insecurities about it, even as a kid and it's only now I'm an adult and living in a council home...it's other people's attitudes that make me feel embarrassed.

I never felt like this before; I never knew it was something I should feel awkward about but listening to others...well it does make me feel down at times.

intheclouds

fussyonion wrote: »

I grew up in a council house and I never felt embarrassed to admit I lived in one.

I never had any insecurities about it, even as a kid and it's only now I'm an adult and living in a council home...it's other people's attitudes that make me feel embarrassed.

I never felt like this before; I never knew it was something I should feel awkward about but listening to others...well it does make me feel down at times.

If you are living there because you have a financial need then whats the problem?

If you dont have a financial need then why do you live there?

Bongalongherb

There is more important things to be thinking of and doing in life than worry about begrudgers, let them moan on as they are just simple folk.

MayoAreMagic

Bongalongherb wrote: »

There is more important things to be thinking of and doing in life than worry about begrudgers, let them moan on as they are just simple folk.

Not when those 'begrudgers' are the people who are paying the money you should be paying... That is like saying get a loan off someone, refuse to pay it back and call them a begrudger when they take issue with your behaviour.

There are more important things to do in life than a lot of things, like pay tax... If everyone took that approach there would be no council house.

karenalot

<MOD SNIP >

I am the opposite of the council house scenario. I grew up in what was considered the poshest estate of our area and people used to judge me for that. I used to hate saying where I lived. Everyone thought I would be a snob or drove around in a Bentley, when the reality was I just had a couple of extra bedrooms than them. Most of my friends were from council estates and I used to be envious of their areas. Everyone stopped to talk to you, they all hung around in each others houses and the families were generally way more craic than any of the people you would meet in my estate.

The Student

Social housing exists for a reason, to house those who can't afford to house themselves. Some council estates have a bad reputation for a reason. it is a tiny minority of individuals who are responsible for this reputation.

The system does need to change if those who can afford to house themselves choose not too. Equally importantly is that those responsible for causing the bad reputation of an area should be held accountable. If those responsible were dealt with the bad reputation would disappear over time.

The majority of people in council estates are the nicest most down to earth people you will ever meet. Unfortunately there is a stereo type associated to an area which in the main is not what the majority of the people are like.

But peoples perception of an area in the main is based on media and how the area looks itself. Good news rarely sells newspapers. A clean area gives a better impression that an unkept area with horse's roaming on green fields.

Graces7

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

Nobody should be ashamed of where they come from, people are all different and I wouldn't judge anyone just because they come from or live in a council house. There are loads of reasons people might have less money,none of which are my business.

I grew up in the north of the UK where council estates are huge/. Many of my schoolfriends lived there and later uni mates. Just a house is all... I was always intrigued by the size of the estates.

Isaiah

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

That's a silly statement. Of course everyone is entitled to live where they like. As long as they pay for it.

If you read the thread you will know that I said the exact same thing a few posts ago so the silly statement remark is uncalled for.

Isaiah

Graces7 wrote: »

I would hate to live in either of those places. And people choose when they can. I chose this house and had and have the right to do that.

You don't have a right to live where you want. For example you cannot live in somewhere you cannot afford.

You seem to be confusing a 'right' (which is a free entitlement) with a purchase, which was a private agreement between the buyer and seller. Not a right.

Wanderer78

i find it very odd that some folk here seem to think they will avoid sudden illness, sudden unemployed or god forbid they got old and had to retire, with responses regarding social welfare payments!

Irishcrx

I grew up a bit all over the place , My mother in from Coolock and my father from Finglas. Didn't know my Dad until I was 21 and my mother was an alcoholic but have lived in Ballymun , Coolock and Finglas at various points. Very proud to be who I am and where I'm from , was never bothered by it and it never held me back in my career. It's not where your from but who you are and have become IMO.

Still live on the Northside , bought a house there and am raising my family there , have a very good job. Even though I live Northside and always will , I've worked on the southside for the left 12 years the very odd time you get people who may pass remark on it but I pay no attention to twats like that commenting on an accent, mine isn't even very strong.

The only thing that annoyed me growing up wasn't the area , it was the constant murmurs from people of 'Oh the poor lad' 'he's doomed in life' ' I wonder if he'll end up like his mother' the same people who now murmur that they had some part to play in all that not happening to me and me making a life for myself.

They didn't...I made it myself because I was on my own from day one.

I grew up my whole life in council estates, for years in flats then later in a house.
I'm very proud of where I came from.
I have always found people from council areas to be more down to earth, honest and real than people from ' posher' areas.

Where I work, there's a lot of people prejudiced against corporation areas & people from ' disadvantaged ' areas. I like to let people rant on and on sometimes, wait until they finsh then tell them my background.

intheclouds

bubblypop wrote: »

I have always found people from council areas to be more down to earth, honest and real than people from ' posher' areas.

Id say its normal to feel more at home and perceive people as more "real" if you are mixing with people from the background as yourself. You would just relate to them more easily.

My own experience would be that there are down to earth, honest and real people from all social classes and that social class is no more an indicator of being dishonest or not down to earth than any other categorisation.

I never really understood the concept of being proud of where you came from - its a complete accident of birth, its not an achievement of any kind? Thats like saying you are proud of having blue eyes.

shugy

Celtickate wrote: »

I am. I grew up in one and it was always embarrassing to admit where I live.
The area has a reputation of being full of scumbags, thugs, teenage pregnancies and so on.
It make me feel embarrassed because not everyone is like that and you're just stereotyped.

What about you?

You miss or misses are whats wrong with this country and the world today. I could go into one here at how fecking stupid your post is but i tihnk youll come to realize that yourself one day.

techdiver

bubblypop wrote: »

I have always found people from council areas to be more down to earth, honest and real than people from ' posher' areas..

Having lived on both sides of the Fence, I find Ireland to be a very "classless" society when compared to (albeit my little direct understanding) of places like the UK and US.

There are some prejudice, but I would not buy into the old "Salt of the Earth" nonsense. There are good and bad eggs in all walks of life and people will use confirmation bias to cloud their real world view.

esforum

as a baby we started in a council estate. Right side neighbour was a hooker, left was an abandoned (called prisoners at the time) wife as hubby was often locked up.

Father worked his ass off, they both did without luxeries and the house, car and area improved over the years until eventually they got into a position where dad could afford to actually take his days off and mam could afford a decent little second hand car and stop doing odd jobs on the side. They both retired this year.

I am tremendously thankful and proud of how hard my parents worked for myself, sister and brother and not one bit ashamed of where they started.

athtrasna

there was a very clear mod warning on page 1. Posters don't appear to understand such clarity. Thread closed pending cleanup