Soldier put behind the unemployed, criminals and asylum seekers on housing register

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ueue-home.html

Fighting on the hellish battlefields of Iraq, he risked his life for his country every day. But when Private Joe MacDonald asked his local authority to help find his young family a house, his sacrifice counted for nothing. He first met with a point-blank refusal, followed by the offer of nothing more than a room in a hostel for himself, his wife and three young children. The council, which organises the provision of social housing through housing associations, put his case behind the unemployed, single mothers, criminals freed from prison and asylum seekers. It claimed that because he was leaving the Army he was deliberately making himself homeless. The bizarre loophole could affect thousands of military personnel when they end their service.

Pte MacDonald, 25, completed a gruelling seven-month tour of duty with the Royal Logistic Corps in southern Iraq in 2006. He fought gun battles with Iraqi insurgents as he protected Army convoys carrying food, fuel, ammunition and kit to troops in UK bases around the British-held part of the country. Last year he decided to quit the regiment to spend more time with his family and began searching for accommodation once his final posting in Germany ends this month. He was born and brought up in Bexley, south-east London, and his parents still live there. But he was stunned when the council refused to provide a house for him and his wife Rachael, 21, and children Ellen-May, four, Harry-Joe, 19 months, and baby Maissy-Ann. Pte MacDonald said officials told him that because he was making himself homeless by voluntarily leaving Army quarters, he was ineligible for any property at all. Later, they offered the family the hostel room where they would have to share a bathroom, kitchen and living room with other families.

Pte MacDonald fears he and his family will be forced to live with his mother-in-law near Salisbury, Wiltshire, where nine people will have to share the house. He said: ‘I have put my life on the line. I have been to war and spent nine years in service for this country. It is absolutely disgusting that it is not recognised. ‘I am retraining as an IT engineer and desperately need somewhere for my family to stay as I won’t earn enough initially to afford private accommodation. 'It seems incredible that no one can find me a council house to live in while I find my feet. It seems like people in the Army are last on the list to be given help.’ In 2008, the Ministry of Defence pledged to give fairer treatment to forces’ families over accommodation.

Well this is the kind of country we now live in and its been endemic of this government throughout to treat our soliders in such an appalling manner although it must be mentioned that Bexley Council is Conservative controlled by a rather big majority so the modern day Conservatives have just the same contempt for our soliders as Labour always have done.

I'd like to ask above all; why on earth is anybody who is purposely unemployed or a criminal even allowed social housing and why the hell are asylum seekers being given social housing? - although this originally came from the EU where they have now made it so that we are forced to provide housing for asylum seekers who come into Europe and end up here because of our generous and soft system along with some of our soft judges and even softer laws. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...eekers-EU.html)

Thoughts - is this a fair system?

[jrh2002]

The system is a total joke and yet another hero is being penalised for working hard. Maybe he needs to split up with his wife and then get back together once her and the kids have been housed (Play the system like all the freeloaders do). This sort of story is why I am fully entitled to strongly criticise my own country which I was once so proud of. I think its about time the Queen stood up and gave her opinion of whats being allowed to happen to our once great nation.

[Jordy]

Wouldn't be the first time our government has failed in housing soldiers, it has consistently failed to throughout the past century.

You can almost understand David Camerons "Broken Britain" at times, while he uses it as a ridiculous gimick, it really does seem to be true with the council house application process, favouring "broken" families. And of course Labour has failed to build anywhere near as many houses it promised/needed; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8600961.stm http://www.conservatives.com/News/Ne...n_housing.aspx

This is just the start I imagine.

[GommeInc]

Can't say I'm surprised :/ Heck, the newspapers are riddled with controversy. Apparently the English Channel is being renamed in Atlases "Le Pond".

[HotelUser]

You can apply to have a free house in the UK?

[Jordy]

You can apply to have a free house in the UK?

Essentially yes. There are waiting lists and a certain criteria though. Plus the house won't be yours unless you decide it buy it off the Council (Local government). They're also quite bad housing as a rule too and are often grotty flats in tower blocks. The bottom line is, it is free housing but it's not as good as it sounds

[GommeInc]

They're semi-detached housing in rural areas, so some are pretty decent

[HotelUser]

Essentially yes. There are waiting lists and a certain criteria though. Plus the house won't be yours unless you decide it buy it off the Council (Local government). They're also quite bad housing as a rule too and are often grotty flats in tower blocks. The bottom line is, it is free housing but it's not as good as it sounds

We don't have anything like this, as far as I know, in Canada. The closest would be how the government gives free housing and university to natives.

[alexxxxx]

We don't have anything like this, as far as I know, in Canada. The closest would be how the government gives free housing and university to natives.

in american english they are called 'the projects.'

[HotelUser]

in american english they are called 'the projects.'

Maybe on American television. I've never heard a Canadian discuss "the projects" before.