Summer 2006 Magazine
News Story :: 2006-11-30 14:21:23
THEY ARE HOMES BUILDING BLOCKS OF NEIGHBOURHOODS CORNERSTONES OF COMMUNITIES
Houses are More than Bricks Mortar Money - Investment Opportunities For Developers & Buy-To-Let/Second Home Speculators
However, it’s possible to clean up streets, get rid of litter, and curb the worst excesses of landlords and their tenants. But none of this is going to make neighbourhoods capable of sustaining and renewing themselves.
That needs people who are prepared to put down roots, feel responsibility for, and to, their neighbours, and, ultimately, contribute to the long term health and future of the greater community. In other words, people for whom houses are first and foremost homes. People who ‘ … stay for the long haul … .’
Yes, a house is probably the single largest financial transaction most of us are likely to contemplate. The fact that the equity is likely increase over time is part of the picture. But not the whole picture.
Just as important is the neighbourhood: its location, its amenities, the people – its ‘ambiance’.
We invest in a house and make it a home. We also invest in the long term viability of the neighbourhood. What happens to it and to our neighbours is important. Usually, when we move on the people who buy our home also buy into the neighbourhood and its future strength and vitality and fitness. In our neighbourhoods this isn’t happening.
Speculators buying properties for conversion to HMOs purchase a commodity that will give the maximum return on their investment They don’t even live here. So why expect them to care about the welfare of the neighbourhood?
Their tenants are young, highly mobile, totally absorbed in their own lifestyles. The houses they occupy are accommodation. Their homes are elsewhere. Their commitment to our neighbourhoods is minimal and transient. Their time as investors in homes and neighbourhoods is yet to come.
The danger is that council, universities, students all concentrate on cleaning up the environment ‘… bailing out the Titanic’s engine room with teaspoons …’ and put aside the fact that there are: too many HMOs, too few families, not enough children, degraded amenities. They must not ignore the social and emotional misery of the real people living in the host communities who are at risk of becoming aliens in the dying neighbourhoods that were once their own.
In our neighbourhoods families and others don’t want to, or are prevented from, making a commitment to the ‘long haul’. That has to change. How to do it is the real challenge – for council, universities, students [landlords] and, ultimately, for Government itself.
Rise to it and there is some hope that we will again have
—Neighbourhoods where families want to live … not leave!—
UNIPOL's Second Student Garden Survey
2009-04-01 17:21:46 :: LOCAL ISSUESUNIPOL are conducting their second survey of student gardens on the 7th of May. We are looking for volunteers to help with this. Full training given. If you can spare part of a day and are interested in knowing more please contact The NAG on 07762 525 625 or use our Contact Page.