Westlife, Knackers and Social housing.

We here on Irish Election are of course big Westlife fans and will stop at nothing to further our agenda of a westlife dominated Dail chamber. However we are honest people here and I feel I must comment on what Shane (possibly the blond one) is doing in Sligo. From the Irish Independent

WESTLIFE’S Shane Filan has been accused of trying to “buy his way out” of building social and affordable homes on a proposed development by a company he runs with his brother in their home town.

This part of the planning process has been controversial since it was first brought in. Basically the clause was that 20% of a development had to be turned over to the local authority for social housing. But many developers simply chose to use the clause where they can give money to the council instead of providing the housing.

Now many on the left will go on about how this is greedy developments fault etc etc. Where we have the likes of Councillor Declan Bree (he who forced a party enquiry of Pat Rabbitee)  saying it would lead to “social segregation”.

The fact of the matter is the fault lies with the average Biddy and Miley. Remember the Biddy and Miley are now middle class moving into their first home with probably a 40 year mortgage. The fact that they are spending so much money on the house means they have particular wishes from their home. Probably the number one thing they do not want is to be living beside a bunch of “knackers” and to many people the word social housing is intertwined with the words “knackers.

Now before anyone jumps angrily down my throat calling me all sorts of things. This is what we are dealing with. This is the type of emotive words that people use. We can all try to live in this PC utopia and try the ignore the issue. But the fact of the matter is that many people would seriously dislike living next to social housing as they are afraid of the people who may move in. I am not saying people are thinking streams of caravans are going to be parked up. Indeed that is not the context of the word “knackers” I am using are a great many people use. I am using it in the way people use it to describe people from certain areas of various cities and towns. The way people who see a bunch of teenagers in hoodies walking down the street and try to avoid eye contact with them use it. To use an alternative words scumbags and chavs.

The question of whether or not the stereotype is true or not does not matter in the slightest. The point is the stereotype exists and people are afraid of it. They don’t want to live next door to a bunch  of “knackers”. They don’t want to pay a 40 year mortgage and have people pay less for the same. Thus when they are buying a home this is what influences them. The developers know this. They know people want “exclusive” developments. And thus they pay off this fee so to avoid letting the social housing element into the estate and dragging the “tone” of the place down.

The idea of the providing social housing in developers estates is not an amazingly flawed idea in itself. The problem with it is not with the developers it is with people. Normal people. People demand that they do not live next to “knackers” and thus the developers pay to keep them out. It is people indeed many of whom will vote for Declan Bree because they want better schooling for their kids. Who are to blame for the social segregation that he goes on about. But as long as we avoid the issue and instead criticise the man from Westlife for making a business decision we will not solve any of this.

We have to realise that the average person uses the word knacker not underprivileged. Underprivileged sounds like someone to help, some raggity kid with a smile and who would not like to help someone underprivileged.

But knacker is a tough word and insinuates viciousness, we think of kids in Hoodies beating up old ladies, cars on bricks, rubbish strewn lawns. That is the image that causes the low amount of social housing in developments and these image and words not the developers are what needs to be tackled.