asperity Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 A documentary from 1984 about housing problems. Especially pertinent around 45 minutes in: https://youtu.be/Ch5VorymiL4 Is social housing the solution or the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 Of course social housing is the solution, by increasing supply, you reduce demand, which is then reflected lower prices throughout the market. Of course, allowing the world's waifs and strays into London and the UK generally, doesn't help reduce demand either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 So you didn't watch the documentary then..................................................................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 Must admit Asp, I didn't ! Sure you'll explain the point ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 It shows that Local Councils are not very good at overseeing building projects, the private contractors used being able, seemingly, to do what they like. The effect on Council Housing being, at times, disastrous. I'm not going to pretend to know what the answer is as housing is very far outside my expertise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 So it's a contracting or procurement issue; rather than the principle of providing more social housing. What is clear. is that the private sector isn't providing sufficient housing to cope with demand, and if they did, prices would drop, and so too, profits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 There was a time when turnover also contributed to profits based on providing plenty of your products for many people at reasonable prices.Post 60s the mantra for business has been to hike prices high & crush the consumers spending power till it squeaks. This also seems to be true of the housing market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 How does business "crush the consumers spending power"? Surely logic dictates that the more spending power the consumer has, the more they spend on the goods that business produces, hence higher profits for said business? Just asking like . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 Your right about "spending power" Asp; providing everyone has it. The more people, with more cash = more demand for goods and services = more jobs to produce them. Unfortunately, wealth is being concentrated into the hands of fewer people, thus less demand from the many. Especially true in the case of housing, where a mortgage for many is impossible, and even rents are prohibitive. The only way the quite natural concentration of wealth can be corrected, is by a redistributive tax system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 Obs you are J.Corbyn and I claim my finder's fee . Wealth is not the same as money, people can be cash rich but wealth poor and vice versa (old widow in a £1M mansion who can't afford to heat it against the single earner in London with a well paid job having to pay £1000/week rent for a "studio apartment. The widow has wealth and no money, the single man has money but no wealth). Unfortunately it isn't possible for everybody to have as much money as they would like. In fact it has been said that if everybody was given £1million tomorrow, within a year the majority would have spent it all and a minority would be rich. That's people for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted June 24, 2017 Report Share Posted June 24, 2017 Business these days relies on most profit for least outlay & if it squeezes consumers pockets ,don't worry, there is always instant credit ...or debt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 24, 2017 Report Share Posted June 24, 2017 Think JC is a social liberal, I'm not. Your last para is exactly what I'm saying; in a free capitalist society, money will always gravitate to fewer and fewer hands; hence a redistributive tax system; to counter this natural phenomenon. The real challenge will come in the future, as automation takes over jobs, then folk being unemployed will have even less money to spend; so in order to maintain demand, they will have to be given buying power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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