Rental needs(thanks W, now Sect 8 Welfare recipients can't afford to move next store)

Baltimore Sun ^ | July 5, 2005

[marylandrepub1]

LEGISLATION PENDING in Congress that would convert a popular federal rent-assistance program into a fixed grant program has public housing authorities around the country worried - and with good reason. Under the legislation, public housing agencies would be limited by caps in the number of poor people they could help, and unable to move thousands off waiting lists for subsidized housing into affordable apartments. Given the nationwide shortage of affordable housing and other recent funding cuts to federal public housing programs, changes to the rent-assistance program known as Section 8 are sure to worsen the problem and force people to spend more on rent or live in substandard housing.

The bill in Congress comes on the heels of three years of funding-formula changes in the Section 8 program that have exacerbated the housing crisis in communities around the country. According to the Council on Large Public Housing Authorities, an advocacy organization, housing agencies have been forced to make retroactive budget cuts, lower rent payments, cut the number of rent vouchers they distribute and freeze voucher waiting lists. Landlords who participated in the program are bailing out and no longer accepting the vouchers as payment. Investors have withdrawn from affordable-housing developments supported by the program.

The voucher program has worked well for more than 30 years and has received high marks from the White House Office of Management and Budget. It has helped millions of low-income families live in affordable housing that meets federal living standards, and helped the federal government ease the national housing crisis by allowing housing authorities to use the private housing market.

The program is far from broken; lawmakers don't need to fix it.

[Iron Matron]

It has helped millions of low-income families live in affordable housing that meets federal living standards, and helped the federal government ease the national housing crisis by allowing housing authorities to use the private housing market.<<<

It is not the Governments job to help the poor with MY MONEY. CHARITY Should be voluntary ONLY. Housing programs funded with tax dollars are unconstitutional.

[AppyPappy]

One word: snakes. They will move post-haste

[goldstategop]

Owning a home is a start to a better life. Its not a panacea but I believe private property rights are the key to good citizenship. Its no coincidence the Left is against property rights because it doesn't want people to be good stewards of their lives and their own homes. It wants them to look to government for all their needs.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Little Ray]

Absolutely: Near where I live, I saw a house - 3Bdrm, 2Bath and A POOL for $126K. Within 30 min. of Atlanta. Within 5 minutes of a boat landing on Lake Lanier...

[GraniteStateConservative]

"Next Store?" Are you sure you don't mean "next door?"

Yes, for all intensive purposes...

[caver]

I'm familiar first hand with this situation. My Dad lived off of Section 8 funds for years. That was after he sponged off of relatives for close to 20 years. My Grandmother died and he had to go on welfare. There wasn't anything wrong with him, other than being epileptic(medically controlled) and some bursitis. He just didn't want to work. At long as he had someone else taking care of him, he wasn't about to lift a finger.

[Tired of Taxes]

We tried calling the cops. There's nothing they can do.

My folks installed cameras - but that doesn't do much either. The cops told them they can't legally record voices, so all they have is video and you can't hear what the people are saying.

I told them not to go to the media because they could be portrayed as grumpy people just not wanting to "give the poor family a chance."

The rest of the neighbors complain privately but are too scared to go to the police. I ended up being the one reported because I confronted the POS family.

Nothing can be done. My folks are losing their house that was paid off through their hard work. That they were supposed to be enjoying in their golden years. Gee, thanks, Pres Bush.

Meanwhile, the POS HUD family gets to "own" a house courtesy of taxpayer subsidies, yet they are able to afford two new cars, a swimming pool, all the things we, the taxpayers, can't afford. Unbelievable.

[american spirit]

Does anyone know if illegals can get Sect. 8 assistance or something like that from the feds or stategov?

[Dionysius]

I had the privilege of living next door to a Sect. 8 "family". This was one hell of an extended family, with at least four women living there, each with her own brood and a revolving door of "male roll models". When they moved in the vermin moved out in disgust. When the slum landlord dropped dead and the house was subsequently sold to a nice family, I had to confess to jubilation at another human being's demise.

[newgeezer]

"Next Store?" Are you sure you don't mean "next door?"

You beat me to it. "Next store"!? LOL. If only I could of [sic] been here sooner! ;O)

[newgeezer]

LOL.

[RegulatorCountry]

"Penguins don't come from next store, they come from the Ant-arctic."

To quote that well-known, old Creedence Clearwater Revival song, "There's A Bathroom On The Right." Maybe it's right next store to Ant-arctica?

[SoftballMominVA]

6 years ago in VA, my family lived in a nice, normal, middle-class townhouse development. We had block parties, outings for the kids, cookouts, etc. All the hallmarks of middle-class America. Directly across the street from me, a family moved out and sold the townhouse to someone who then rented it out as a Section 8 housing. The change in the neighborhood was breathtaking. Cars coming and going all hours of the night and day, tearing up the street, WHILE CHILDREN WERE PLAYING! Gunfire at night, loud music coming from cars and the house, windows busted out of the front of the house, unbelievable damage both inside and out. That house was the reason my husband and I moved. I just didn't want to feel like I lived in an inner-city ghetto. The police became a constant presence. And yes, this was caused by ONE house and ONE renter.

Maybe this was an isolated incident, but when I perceive that my kids are in danger, I don't care about the 'odds.' I only want safety.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

We have owned a two family in NJ for the past 20 years. We will not get involved with section 8 rentals. That said, we have spent the past two months fixing up both apartments, painting, cleaning, refinishing kitchen cabinets (after the idiot tennant painted beautiful solid wood cabinets and lost half the original hardware) We also had to rent a 20 yard dumpster to get rid of junk!

I guess if some tennants don't own it, they don't care if it's trashed or not!!! We now have (so far) clean tennants who pay the rent on time and hopefully they will appreciate our hard work.

[Still Thinking]

If people don't really own the place in which they live, they will never take good care of it.

Unforeseen Kelo side effect?

[Nathan Zachary]

"Given the nationwide shortage of affordable housing and other recent funding cuts to federal public housing programs, changes to the rent-assistance program known as Section 8 are sure to worsen the problem and force people to spend more on rent or live in substandard housing."

Or (gasp!) get a job.

[bk1000]

"Within 30 min. of Atlanta. Within 5 minutes of a boat landing on Lake Lanier..."

You would have to drive really fast...It takes half an hour to get to Atl from Roswell if there is no traffic.

[bk1000]

"this was caused by ONE house and ONE renter."

Could have been ended by ONE neighbor with ONE match ;)

[Collier]

I have a Section 8 tenant next door to me. Mother, father & 2 kids. It's a small bungalow....3 small bedrooms.

So far they've been fine, but the kids are little.

My gripe is that the owner of the house, who moved 200 miles away, gets $1800 a month. I don't know what the tenants pay of that amount. I'm guessing around $400.

But my point is, that $1800 is not the going rate. If he rented it to someone other than section 8, he would get about $1300 to $1500 a month.

So naturally he chose section 8, plus the check from the govt. goes directly to him. Guaranteed rental income.

The fact that the govt. pays way above the going rate is a disgrace. In addition, people that can afford to pay the going rate are not getting these places.