>>>>Why can't they use those thousands of newbuild properties that aren't selling that we read about.
>>>
>>>What are you, some sort of a commie?
>>
>>Slightly left leaning.
>>
>>But actually if local authorities could buy up empty speculative build housing at a knock down price to provide housing for the homeless or low income families that could only be a good thing. In the long run those prices will recover and the local authority would have a nice valuable asset.
>
>They would be turned into dumps by neglect, willful damage, diversion of maintenance funds, etc just like other government housing projects.
>
>To sell them after several years someone would have to pay to tear them down.
>
>>
>>Turn cynic on
>>
>>then could sell them in the next housing bubble and buy the next round of speculative housing in say 20 years time.
>>
>>Turn cynic off
>>
>>
>>
>>Nick

The problem is how they are managed . If you just dump problem families in them the you will have a problem. It only takes a few troublemakers to pull an area down so they should be aggressively managed You keep a few sink areas for those who cause problems and move them out and into those areas quickly.

Spend a little money on a problem and you'll save yourself a lot in the long run.