ED tenants looking to get on the housing ladder in East London, would love some advice!

[ruffers]

Move somewhere you will be happy, if it turns out to be a good investment (ie better than another area) then great.

If not? You're still happy.

We moved to ED 8 years ago and by fluke our house has made some money but for us it makes no difference - it's the same house, on the same street, with the same life. Yes Catford & Penge will probably go up in the next few years but don't make that the main criterion.

[ratty]

miga

>

> I don't think Catford is in any danger of being

> socially cleansed in that way! Way too big for a

> wholesale demographic shift within 3-4 years.

> Did you see that lady on Location the other night

> - Catford made her cry :-) What a big Jessy.

> I am getting used to living there, though, despite

> my previous dark thoughts on the place, the houses

> are excellent and the transport is pretty decent.

> Constitutional pub is very, very good as is Blythe

> Hill Tavern, TFC for continental needs,

> respectable Japanese, and no shortage of useful

> trade/building shops down Bromley Rd for the DIY

> inclined. Ain't so bad. I mean, it seems like

> decades away from being anything like ED, but it's

> also 50-60% of the price, so there we are.

Homeless figures in LB Lewisham are higher than they have ever been in all my time working with homeless people (20 years). a startling number of people agreeing made homeless for economic reasons, with the benefits cap, bedroom tax and low rate of lha making things ten times worse. Don't be too sure that social cleansing is not inadvertently happening. Family gets rent put up, can't afford rent, gets evicted, goes to council, gets relocated to an area where they can afford rent due to lack of social housing. Wealthier family that can afford the rent move in. Times this by about 4000 a year and you get the picture.