Posted on 01/10/2015 1:06:08 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
Rochester, NY (WROC) - LaTanya Daughtry needs a new place to live.
The single mother of two boys is on disability and gets a Section 8 housing voucher. But many online classifieds ads say "No Section 8."
"It just makes me feel people look at me differently because I'm on Section 8," Daughtry said. "A lot of ads say no Section 8 right off the bat."
Section 8 is a federal housing program run through the Rochester Housing Authority. Recipients pay a portion of the rent and Section 8 pays the rest.
Section 8 vouchers are in short supply. In the Rochester region, 9,125 families get the housing vouchers. There are about 10,000 families who have been on the waiting list for five years. A Harvard University study found that 30 percent of Rochester area renters are "severely burdened," meaning they pay more than half their income on rent.
"I really can't afford housing on my own with a disability, so Section 8 helps out tremendously," said Daughtry.
The goal of Section 8 was to give poor people the freedom to move where they want. But it hasn't worked out that way. Sixty-one percent of the region's Section 8 recipients live in high-poverty areas.
"It's not illegal in Rochester and most of the state to deny someone because the landlord doesn't wish to contract and accept the Section 8 voucher," said Lou Prieto, an attorney with Legal Assistance of Western New York.
Rochester's higher-end Park Ave. neighborhood has the lowest concentration of Section 8 housing vouchers in the city, with only a few dozen recipients living in housing units there.
"It has nothing to do with we don't like poor people. It just means (Park Ave.) housing is more expensive," said Gini Denninger, a real estate agent.
Section 8 bases how much it will pay landlords on comparable rents in the area. The Park Ave. area commands $912 for a two-bedroom, higher than the $830 standard Section 8 rate. If a tenant wants to live in a pricier apartment, Section 8 will evaluate the comparable rents. As long as tenants don't pay more than 40 percent of ther income in rent, Section 8 will sign off on the arrangement.
Many landlords complain about the red tape involved with Section 8. There are pre-move-in inspections that can two weeks to schedule, leaving a property vacant. Section 8 also requires landlords use a contract it provides.
Some landlords think Section 8 tenants, who need public assistance to pay for housing, are more of a risk.
"This is a business. And I have an obligation to the City of Rochester and the neighborhood I own property in to put the best person in that neighborhood," said Mary D'Alessandro, who owns 11 properties and heads the New York State Property Owners Coalition.
The new interim director of the Rochester Housing Authority wants landlords to be required to accept Section 8. At a recent board meeting, Adam McFadden proposed a fair housing law. That would forbid landlords from discriminating against Section 8 tenants, in the same way landlords are not allowed to discriminate against people with disabilities or people with children.
McFadden would not appear on camera for this story, citing the controversy over his appointment and a need to stay out of the spotlight.
A fair housing law would face opposition.
"If I am discriminating for Section 8 - on income discrimination - then these people should be able to go get a mortgage. Why do I have to rent to them, but a bank doesn't have to give them a mortgage?" said D'Alessandro.
"If Section 8 were that easy for housing providers, they would all be doing it," said Denninger.
Prieto said in order for a fair housing law to work, it would have to be countywide.
"Even if Rochester were to pass such an ordinance, the tenants would still encounter problems, I think in the suburbs," said Prieto.
Fair housing laws exist in Buffalo and New York City. There is no fair housing law proposal in front of Rochester City Council or the Monroe County Legislature. But McFadden has indicated he will work with lawmakers to bring one forward.
Meanwhile, Daughtry found a place to live in the 19th Ward. Her new Landlord, Marty Rennert, likes the Section 8 program. He finds the required leases and rules help - not hurt - his business.
"As a landlord it's a risk-mitigator in every sense," said Rennert. "It puts a positive pressure on both the tenant and the landlord and ensures a good relationship."
Rennert suspects many landlords confuse Section 8 with rental assistance provided by social services. Rennert said there are fewer protections in social service rental assistance. However, Rennert is wary of a fair housing law. He said some landlords would put in place requirements such as making tenants pay first and last month's rents plus a security deposit. In other words, the landlords would make sure Section 8 recipients would not be able to rent their properties.
Daughtry likes the idea of a fair housing law.
"It would give people like me a chance and an opportunity to do better to go better places, and to establish a better environment for my children," she said.
There is no way I will rent to section 8’s!!!!
Re: Section 8 does not give you the $10,000 or $20,000 to repair or remodel your property after the “tenants” totally trash it and move out.
A house on our street became a Section 8 rental. It was a total disaster. The landlord attempted to get rid of them early on, but was not permitted to do so. After two years, the landlord was finally able to evict the tenants. It took over a month to repair the house, with a team of workers working 7 days a week, at least 6 hours a day, even on Christmas Eve. The house was totally trashed. The landlord had to install new tile throughout, pull up all the carpet, and replace all the appliances. Truckloads of trash had to be hauled away. Personally, if I intended to trash a house I wouldn’t know how to inflict the amount of damage that this house incurred by these scummy Section 8 renters through “normal” living. I have no idea what the landlord had to spend in the end to get it ready to rent again, but I estimate at least $20,000. Regarding the possibility of renting again through Section 8, the landlord said: NEVER AGAIN!
I guess I want to know what her sons’ disabilities are. Sorry but its so easy to get that designation now.
At first I would say make sure the property won’t pass inspection. Later when the feds make it easier to pass inspection start selling them on long term contracts?
Did I miss what her “disability” is? She was able enough to have two kids and there seems to be no father.
“Rennert suspects many landlords confuse Section 8 with rental assistance provided by social services.”
In some way Section 8 is worse than Social services. Landlords give up many of their rights under section 8. The contract with section 8 Supersedes any lease and sets terms that fall outside of a standard lease. That contract is a year long with an inspection of the property required for renewal. They are nit picky with the inspection and can complain about the craziest things. And the inspection requirements are inconsistent from year to year. But if you have chipping paint on the outside of a 2nd story window then they will fail it as a possible lead problem.
And if your section 8 tenant dies then be prepared for a nightmare that can last for months while receiving zero rent. A little research on the subject will expose that there are many legal risks that have nothing to do with the quality of the said tenant.
If you rent to a Section 8 tenant, you are almost guaranteed they will trash your place and the Section 8 authorities will refuse to reimburse you for the damages.
No surprise to see “No Section 8 Tenants Accepted” in the classified ads.
Those racist landlords don’t want their properties destroyed.
Mr. Mercat and I have five properties that we rent. We’ve had as many as seven. We are very careful and Mr. Mercat is very hands on. He picks up the rent checks in person every month except for one client who has him on automatic pay. When he picks up the check he talks to the tenant and usually goes in and looks around. But they know that if 1) something needs fixing he’s there within an hour or so or if 2) its a bad month, he’ll work with them on paying late. He does allow the occasional pet if he has met and likes the pet. So he is the ideal landlord. But and this is a big but, the tenant has to pass a background check and has to be employed. He gets references. We’ve had rentals now for over 35 years and it works out for us. They are now paid off and we get a bit of passive income. Although the values increase, they do need maintenance and if we ever sell the tax hit will be huge since they are pretty much depreciated to zero. So it’s a hard way to build wealth and not everyone is up to it. We do okay. He always manages to drop it to the new tenants that I’m a lawyer so they will know that a forcible detainer is not that hard to do.
It’s almost as if they don’t want private citizens to rent properties. Eventually they will run them off, and the government will be in charge of Housing.
The states have never delegated to the feds, expressly via the Constitution, the specific power to appropriate revenue for vote-winning intrastate housing purposes. Neither have the states amended the Constitution to make housing a constitutionally protected right.
So it’s up to the individual states to appropriate revenue for housing purposes if that’s what the legal majority voters of a given state want.
Many years ago we had a section 8 house 2 houses down from me. It was not a single family home...it was a “nest” of criminals, drug dealers and illegals.
I did some research in the Federal CFR concerning the reporting procedures of section 8 welfare cheats and found an amazing regulation within.
It clearly stated that ANYONE receiving section 8 has to report the names, relationship and SOCIAL SECURITY number of anyone staying at the house for more than one week.
Guess what, I demanded that our local housing authority enforce (or follow) the CFR and they gave me some excuse and said they would get back with me on the subject. Furthermore, they demanded that I tell them the reason that I asked the question about their compliance.
I never heard another word from them nor would they ever answer my call when they recognized my phone number.
Nothing ever happened and if everyone that was a responsible citizen pressured their legislatures or civic officials to obey the CFR maybe something can be done about these “hives” of illegals and criminals that are robbing us of our tax money.
However, I am not naive enough to expect that to ever happen.
You wouldn’t think that after the 1994 Northridge earthquake if you lived in a decent neighborhood and had it degraded by Section 8 “recipients” moving in.
That crap stank for years.
Fair used to mean something that was pleasant or beautiful to behold.
Leave it the new-speakers to ruin that word too.
Disability my arse. When the welfare check arrives her disability disappears for the afternoon.
The new interim director of the Rochester Housing Authority wants landlords to be required to accept Section 8
Well Mr Landlord you thought that was private property that you purchased?
Think again, youre in the USSA of Obama now.
Would not be surprised if the Feds take over as you said, considering the two (Barry and Al) who are running things these days.
Nor section 8 but crazy people dwell in apartments.... : )
Just this week we had someone evicted as he was CRAZY. Took a couple of years of complaints.
Up at all hours after midnight keeping people awake, this guy would put up different displays on his window and door and place objects in the balcony (2 story courthouse apt with surround balcony). He would breaks lights, unscrew lights, place objects on cars, 4 twin beds stacked on top of one another, bring random bits of junk into the courtyard and leave them. Yell at people.
Holy crap. If that was my house, I would need to track that woman down and hurt her.
The Unspeakable Blackness of Section 8 and Crime
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