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Birmingham Council House Waiting List

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Morturn

Morturn

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Do any of the members know what the average waiting time fora council house was in the 1950’s?

My mom and dad lived with their parents for eight yearswhile waiting, they had two children at the time.
 
My mum got her first council house in 1960, and by then she had eight children, they came across from Ireland in 1948 and moved around alot because of notice boards on lodging houses saying no Blacks and no Irish. It was always word of mouth that they got bigger rooms. One day when my Dad was at work (Demolition man) he saw a family moving out of a house so went back to the rooms where my mom and family was living and himself and his Gaffer moved them all in to the empty house and he took on Squatters rights after a week the landlord came round my dad paid the rent after coming to an agreement that his was not moving out . Eventually the houses were to be demolished and there long wait for a council house was over and they were given a three bedroom house in Ladywood and in answer to your question they waited eleven years in all .
 
People used to wait years, I think my parent's waited about 6yrs, which was quick, but the house was falling apart then, we lived there for about 18yrs after that, I had aunts who lived in private landlord houses really overcrowded, and were only housed by the council when their houses were demolished,8/10 yrs was normal, and its getting that way again,a lot of young people can't afford to buy, and find themselves in private accommodation,
 
Due the shortage of land for house building BCC started the Overspill scheme, Enid and I put our names down in 1953
and were offered one in Stretton Burton on Trent in 1957 at 38shillings a week, needless to say we took it. Bernard.
ps(have been in exile ever since)
 

Thanks you all for your very interesting replies, pleasekeep them coming.

I was trying to solve a question about my recently deceasedmother, she lived with her parents for eight years after marrying; my dadthought she did not apply for a council house because she like it at home with hermom, as you can tell, dad did not like living with in-laws.
 
Elizabeth Redmond said:
People used to wait years, I think my parent's waited about 6yrs, which was quick, but the house was falling apart then, we lived there for about 18yrs after that, I had aunts who lived in private landlord houses really overcrowded, and were only housed by the council when their houses were demolished,8/10 yrs was normal, and its getting that way again,a lot of young people can't afford to buy, and find themselves in private accommodation,
Click to expand...

I think I remember some of my relatives saying they got a place in 4 years so that must have been really quick...
 
Remember going with Mom in 1950s to Housing office,Think then Bush House in Broad street.They on list for about 8 years,eventually got flat in Tile Cross Road,The first real home I remember.Before that lived the first 8 years of my live in rooms living with Uncles family.
 
my mom and dad rented a second floor flat in edgbaston and applied when dad came home from the war we got our first council house in bartley green in hasbury road in 1950.
paul
 
The housing officers very strict at the time,My Mom and Dad refused there first offer and made to wait another year for next offer.Then wrong side of City for Dads work but had no choice but to accept.Poor Dad had three buses every day to get to work
 
I think my parents waited about six years (assuming they applied immediately after Dad came back from the war). We got a two-bedroomed house in Tile Cross in 1952. Before that we lived in a 3-bed council house in Yardley Wood with my grandparents, my great-grandfather and my uncle. It was only when my Mum became pregnant with my sister that we got the house.
 
A few years ago I was walking down Colmore Row with a friend of mine when he asked me what the large building was in Victoria Square, when I told him it was the Council House he replied " Blimey! Our kids got his name down for one of those".
 
The population of Birmingham has been declining since 1950 (if the printed numbers are right) so would that not make council houses easier to obtain. Council houses are peculiar to Brum I read somewhere. I don't understand the dynamics of Birmingham life. One would have thought that with the displacement of manufacturing; the housing situation would be easier now...and yet the prices seem very high.
 
The Council have over the last 25 years have sold their properties to Housing Associations on block,private tenants etc.thus reducing their commitments.Who suffers is easy to answer.Dek
 
Where did you read that the population has been declining Rupert? I doubt that is right. Immigration started in the late 1950's for a start, which would have upped it straight away. Of course people (including myself) have moved out of Birmingham, but those that were left had children and those need houses - I really find that quite hard to believe.

Council houses are not peculiar to Birmingham, they have them in most places, although some of the posher areas may not have any, there are some relatively nice areas where there were a few also - I say were because a lot of tenants purchased theirs. Councils were allowed, under Margaret Thatcher's government, to offer their houses for sale to the current occupier. That took a lot off the market, wrongly in my view. Prices are high, ridiculously so, but to one who was purchasing, at any time, the price has always seemed high.

When manufacturing declined, the people did not move away or die, they were out of a job, but still had to have somewhere to live. That situation has gone on and on.

I think living abroad you can never ever imagine how life has changed. My sister and brother both live in America, my brother rarely comes back (and never speaks to anyone anyway). My sister is always very shocked at the way things have changed, and that is in just 21 years. She comes back about every five years or so.
 
I came back from the Far East in 1956 and was demobbed from the RAF and all I was offered by Bham council was a 2 bedroomed flat in Telford overspill, apparently I had not amassed enough points for anything else only having one daughter and living abroad, so I was compelled to live in a private back to back (would have been considered unfit to live in now) until I saved the deposit to buy my own. As you say Mrs Thatcher made the Council sell their housing stock and they were not allowed to use the cash to build replacement stock Eric
 
It is my opinion that post WW2 immigration started before the late 1950's. I left the Solihull area in early 1954 and it was well known well before that date that West Indian immigrants were established in the City of Birmingham as were Asian immigrants in the Balsall Heath district. But others, more familiar with the cities population movement may know differently. ;)
 
Well, you can Google the population stats. If you can't find them I will post a link. Loss of industry will mean that people will eventually move away as has happened in Detroit suburbs. There perfectly fine houses with all amenities are being bulldosed to prevent deterioration due to lack of purchasers...no offers even at $25,000 for a fifty foot lot, single house. The industry has gone. They don't call it Heartlands there... the Rust Belt comes to mind. It's begining to seem like it stretches from the east coast of the Pacific to the EU. What is the Information Age anyway? And how can it replace craftsmanship and making things.
 
What did they do with the cash then Eric, I suppose they put it into Council pensions? Surely they could see it was a backward move? There is always someone who earns insufficient to save for a deposit - especially now that house prices are high. I have to say I am in agreement with the way the mortgages have gone, back to having a sensible deposit and not borrowing more than the house is worth.

I was very interested to see in the Sunday Times last week that all the people who earn sufficient to purchase a house and are living in social housing of any kind, are either going to have to move or pay a market rent. That's some of the union bosses sorted then!
 
Rupert, Detroit is very very different to Birmingham, I can promise you that. We don't have any areas where houses are left to rot like they have there. Industry started to decline in the 1960's, with the demise of the metal industry, and it has just died slowly since then, although manufacturing of a sort (not heavy industry) is on the increase in some areas.

My sister has sent me videos of Detroit - Birmingham is not like that at all. Different jobs are being created, although in my view they are not the kind of jobs one can support a family on. Lots of coffee shop and McDonald's jobs and other service industries. It is hoped that the manufacturing increase will grow - I have seen suggestions on the news that China is sending out diff goods and so certain local manufacturers have landed substantial orders due to lack of confidence. All we need is more of this to happen. I always thought China would shoot themselves in the foot one day, and some of it seems to be happening.

I have never thought to look at population stats, but I shall do so now. It has never occurred to me that I would ever need such a thing.
 
Only from what I can find on the web...YEAR/POPULATION of Brum

1951.....1,112,685
2001..... 977,087
2003..... 992,100
Projected 2028..... 1,113,600

So it seems to have declined from the high water mark in 1951 to recently and is on a seeming up-turn to the 1951 level by about 2028. I wont be around to see it. So even with all of the immigration, the population level still dropped. There are always people dieing and others going elswhere. I suspect that the latter is a big factor since many on here no longer live in Brum; having retired and moved away. Perhaps the babyboomers will increase this trend also and free up housing space. Which makes me wonder about population increases there. It has to be for a reason and what will this be in a post manufacturing world.
 
I agree there are always people dying, but there always has been. Many people, like myself, moved awy from Birmingham long before they retired. I am a baby boomer, I left Birmingham in early 1972, for living, but worked there until 2000. I think people in council housing will stay in council housing, it is not particuly easy to move to other towns, so I disagree with you there. People may sell their houses and move away, but it is taking a long time for people to sell these days with the latest recession. My daughter had her house up for sale for a year before she got a taker, and my next door neigbour has had his house up for sale for 16 months and no-one has even been to see it. So movement in a big way won't happen quickly. Don't be so quick is calling it a post-manufacturing world, it is not all doom and gloom and manufacturing is still going on, but no heavy stuff. I won't say there is a boom, there isn't but things are improving, but it won't happen ovenight. Jaguar are building a new plant for one thing. I am an optimist, England is a place I love, I have no interest in living elsewhere, so will always remain optimistic about my homeland.
 
Shortie said:
Where did you read that the population has been declining Rupert? I doubt that is right. Immigration started in the late 1950's for a start, which would have upped it straight away. Of course people (including myself) have moved out of Birmingham, but those that were left had children and those need houses - I really find that quite hard to believe.

Council houses are not peculiar to Birmingham, they have them in most places, although some of the posher areas may not have any, there are some relatively nice areas where there were a few also - I say were because a lot of tenants purchased theirs. Councils were allowed, under Margaret Thatcher's government, to offer their houses for sale to the current occupier. That took a lot off the market, wrongly in my view. Prices are high, ridiculously so, but to one who was purchasing, at any time, the price has always seemed high.

When manufacturing declined, the people did not move away or die, they were out of a job, but still had to have somewhere to live. That situation has gone on and on.

I think living abroad you can never ever imagine how life has changed. My sister and brother both live in America, my brother rarely comes back (and never speaks to anyone anyway). My sister is always very shocked at the way things have changed, and that is in just 21 years. She comes back about every five years or so.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you Shortie
 
Hi

I wonder if the decline in population could be put down to
large numbers of people being moved out of Birmingham
to places like Chelmsley Wood and Redditch. They would still
be Birmingham Council tenants, but were no longer living in
Birmingham.

Kind regards

Dave
 
That's a good point Dave because the Birmingham Council stats show higher numbers which include those people perhaps. It's hard to compare apples to apples on this.
 
There are also thousands of people living in private property with the council paying the rent. These people are classed as 'housed' and may not be on the waiting list any longer.
 
This thread has been bouncing on and off topic, the original question was how long it took to get a council house, it is now including government issues and immigration.

I am now closing it as the original question has been answered.
 
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