English: Social housing in Tipper Lane (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

United Kingdom (Photo credit: stumayhew)

British journalist and writer Polly Toynbee, pictured at the “National Poverty Hearing” at Westminster; December 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: New social housing development in Moss Side, Manchester (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is an interesting and controversial article from Polly Toynbee in the Guardian. It’s well worth a read. Check it out!

via Why 2013 will be a boom year for bailiffs and slum landlords | Polly Toynbee | Comment is free | The Guardian.

Personally, I disagree with Polly Toynbee. Whilst I recognize the social argument for Public Housing, I challenge the economic argument. Social or public housing has been abused for years,  both by the recipients and the vast industry that supports the process, with its arcane rules, supported by specialized consultants and cronies.

I have recently been on an extended trip to China, and can assure you that China’s poor would be delighted with the new UK approach ( See Discover the Orient,  if you are interested in exploring  further insights on our China trip).

In economic terms, the UK must compete with China, so I would argue that social housing needs to be in proper context, fit for purpose, and economically efficient. For the UK to recover its competitiveness, there needs to be a toughening up process, and reform of social housing is a reasonable starting point, in my view.

What do you think?