Yet another man made disaster that will see record breaking numbers of home repossessions as the lenders try to recoup losses caused by their own failings and ineptitude.

The most remarkable aspect to the whole credit crunch for me, is that I couldn't care less about it. I don't own a home - so I can't lose it. I don't have much in terms of savings - so I can't lose them. I haven't met anybody who cares too much about the current financial crisis - maybe that says more about me and the types of people who I speak to.

The main concern for those who have recently bought property seems to be dwindling house prices, increased monthly repayments and accruing that dreaded negative equity thing. I'm in my mid thirties and just about remember the last round of over inflated house prices where people invariably ended up paying too much at best or losing their homes/investments at worse. As with any 'gamble' apart from a few lucky winners, the house always wins whilst the majority pay the price.

I use Liverpool - Capital of Culture (or should that be Culture of Capital? re: our new £1b shopping centre owned by The Duke of Westminster!) as an example because that is where I live. I would like to buy a terraced house with a little sunny garden or yard so that I could grow my own vegetables.

I would like the security and freedom that comes with owning a home as opposed to renting a flat with no outside space and a list of rules as long as my (freakishly lengthy) arm; no pets, no smoking, no blu-tack on the walls (the lettings agency must have started out with student lettings and failed to update their tenancy contract!), no freedom, no thanks!

Both myself and my partner work yet we are out-priced from our own city. Over the last few years prices have risen exponentially and first time buyers in their 20's, 30's and even 40's don't stand a chance.

When the prices finally fall to within our budget we will buy one home. When we have this security we might think about starting a family - a fundamental human right which we may get to exercise in our late 30's. Anyhoo, I don't want to raise a family in somebody else's property with rules stating what we can't do. Sheesh, how miserable would that be? Until then, I aint reproducing.

I was watching a TV documentary recently about speculators who bought loads of property in the hope of making a mint out of renting to people and how it has all backfired so horribly. One well spoken, recent divorcee was crying into her cup of tea as she was about to be declared bankrupt, lose her home and have to find rented accommodation to live in.

Ashamedly  I felt quite smug watching this woman's despair.  I asked myself, 'Am I evil?' I quickly decided that I wasn't as she was a greedy lady, who was happy (until the repossessions) to profiteer from renting out her portfolio of property to other less fortunate people who couldn't afford to buy. It's hard to have sympathy.

The problem with people like that is their desire to obtain 'easy money' from buy-to-let, contributed to a creating a false sense of demand for flats and apartments. Lovely but run down,  solid built Victorian terraces have been demolished to make way for cheaper apartment blocks with paper thin walls and no private outside space.

I have no problem with individuals who take an old dilapidated house and renovate it. These people are contributing to regeneration of areas - albeit for a profit. Although I am certain that most property developers make only cosmetic improvements and pay little attention to making properties more environmentally sustainable.

I may sound sour but I genuinely believe it is immoral for people to make easy money from people renting a home. In the old days if you couldn't afford to buy your own home you could get a council property. Unfortunately most of the council's housing stock was sold to tenants and never replenished with good quality homes or worse still, have been sold to Housing Associations for as little as £5 per unit. 

So if you can't afford to buy your own home you have three options;  living with family/friends, renting from private landlords or renting from social landlords.

Private landlords are hit and miss - there's some good and some bad. If someone has more property than they can manage, a lettings agency is usually employed. In my experience this can involve dealing with a little horror, who relishes sending letters advising how they are legally entitled to access the property (or as I like to call it - my home that we pay handsomely for). Ask nicely and I would always oblige - I just don't like being dictated to!

Social Landlords such as housing associations in my opinion are just plain wrong. Poverty is big business and there are so many housing associations calling themselves social enterprises (for reduced tax status) meddling in areas of high social deprivation - keeping themselves in professional salaries by professing to help the poor! The poor could help themselves if given the opportunity.

The problem I have from an environmental perspective is that the Government are stating that millions of new homes are needed to meet demand. If every family/couple owned just one home and all other houses owned by housing associations were sold off to owner occupiers then there would surely be a surplus. Our landlord owns 50+ properties. In addition to this there are 660,000 empty homes in the UK (click here for more info).

So more homes are needed, but where is this information coming from? The current fashion of owning two or more properties means demand for property (not homes) has increased amongst us plebeians - probably to contribute to retirement funds. Can't blame them really - I feel I can't rely on the Government to look after me when I am too old to work.

The Government are now proposing the creation of eco-towns for several sites across the UK. These eco-towns could be built on green belt land. This will cause a reduction of green spaces and therefore have a negative environmental impact on UK biodiversity. As an environmentalist I think these eco-towns are a terrible idea. By all means improve urban areas with environmental technology but don't ruin our unspoilt green spaces.

The credit crunch seems to be providing the Government with an opportunity to manipulate the environmental and planning laws of this country for purely economic gain. If there's one thing I'm certain of it is that you don't mess around with Mother Nature - we wont win.

Sefton Park &  Grey Squirrels>>>

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