Posted on 07/15/2007 9:21:30 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Nearly 100 Antelope Valley households have lost their Section 8 subsidies in the first five months of 2007, a result of intensive local enforcement efforts aimed at identifying recipients who defraud the aid program or break program rules, officials say. Lancaster and Palmdale, with matching contributions from 5th District County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, have spent their own money to hire Section 8 investigators - a move that has netted hundreds of tenants defrauding the system.
"We're very happy with our level of enforcement," said Kelly Long, a spokeswoman for Palmdale's Public Safety Office. "We have worked with Section 8 for several years now, and as they've been able to add investigators, things have really been able to kind of jump up."
Section 8 is a federally funded housing assistance program that helps households pay their rent. Funding for the program comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but the program is operated by the Housing Authority of Los Angeles County.
Five years ago, Palmdale had just shy of 2,000 Section 8 tenants. That number was down to 1,014 at the end of May. In late 2005, Lancaster had 2,047 Section 8 households; now it has 1,790.
From Jan. 1 to May 31 of this year, 39 households in Lancaster and 54 in Palmdale have lost their Section 8 subsidies.
"This is a very incremental process," Lancaster City Manager Bob Lasala said. "It's constant, steady pressure and enforcement on those who are irresponsible participants in the program."
Frequent terminations
Lancaster and Palmdale had a total of 2,804 Section 8 households at the end of May, and from Jan. 1 to May 31, 93 households were booted from the program.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
Did you stop to think that the help one gets with that program could possibly help that person to become at least partially employed again?”
Living in a shelter will motivate someone to get employed again, if he/she wants to work.
If someone needs help, why don’t their families help them?
If they aren’t worth their families help, why should I help them?
Let them live in a shelter and maybe they’ll get some motivation to help themselves.
You’re kidding right?
I won’t even dignify that utterly ignorant statement with a response.”
How big is your family? Everybody in the family could chip in to do the same thing for her that the taxpayers are being forced to do.
How many of your family would do that if it was the only option? Would you?
No, I’m not trying to bait you.
No, I’m not kidding.
No, it’s not ignorant questions or statements.
Yeah, I know. My bf’s ex is/was a drug addict. She was accepted in 6 months. I was turned down, so my lawyer is filing an appeal. The judge didn’t have my latest medical records, and we think that is why he denied my claim.
The clinic that I went to refused to make my medical records available, and finally lied about all their records being damaged due to a water pipe breaking. I sent a letter to the head of the county medical program that I’m on, and also sent a copy to my county supervisor. I have to say that the medical director is wonderful, God bless him! He had my records probably the day after receiving my letter. He also transferred me to another clinic that comes recommended by several people.
Nope, I’m not disabled. I wish I could go back to work, because that would mean I could also withstand a camping trip, or at least go hiking. If it wasn’t for my neighbor driving me to Bible study once a week, and my bf driving me to the clinic, store, and bank, I’d never leave the house. Hey, I’ve spent most of the last two years in bed with a heating pad, and that sucks. Doesn’t fix things, either.
I’ve spent so long typing this, that I forgot the name of the poster who provided the link to the drug dealing welfare recipients with badass rides. LOL, a friend shops LE auto auctions, and bagged a ‘88 Mercedes. Too bad we don’t have 1k, plus there is no way we could do tune ups and that kind of stuff ourselves.
It really stinks when being an honest person actually hurts you, rather than benefit you.
This is very encouraging news. The thing is, there is little or no “enforcement” anywhere else. All you can do is wonder how many millions of taxpayer dollars get flushed down the toilet every month. Personally, I am sick and tired of “the poor”.
I remember the SSDI fraud known as “crazy checks”, where welfare mothers taught their kids how to act mentally unstable so they could “qualify” for SSDI. Coincidentally, this racket was real popular in Arkansas.
Why are you letting the government take care of your family instead of doing it yourself?
Hazcat, you've never been around a truly bi-polar person, or you wouldn't ask that question. Your environment turns to utter chaos, for one thing. My bf's oldest daughter is bi-polar. Until she lived with us, he thought it was a SSDI scam so mommy could squeeze more money out of the system.
Freakin' rollercoaster ride, and unfortunately I'm tuned to gauge people's moods for protecting myself. One minute she's laughing and everything is cool, next minute she's crying her eyes out. My son is a year older than her, and unfortunately became romantically involved with her(she's 18, he's 19). She is so beautiful looking, she could knock a lot of models off the front page, but she's a mess.
If you have kids at home, you really don't want them around a bi-polar who is self destructive. That's all I'm going to say about that. Better headstamp's sis be in her own space.
If it wasn't for all the scammers, druggies, and illegals, people who need help could get it a lot quicker.
The shelters are full. My kids took a vote back in 2000 to live in a shelter, and the lady told me to hide the knives, because I didn’t have a car, and no job. They couldn’t help us.
That was before the physical problems really cropped up. I already had blown disks, yada yada, but now it takes me forever to type a coherent reply on message boards. Proofreading, data entry, and editing(in a very small capacity), was what I did. I actually have a dictionary next to me, and if that doesn’t help, then I have to figure out how to express myself using different words.
Please tell me how the magic shelter will help me!
Spotted Owl,
Thanks for the cogent answer.
I was not trying to bait anyone. I have been through some trying situations myself.
My parents (now just my father) live with my son (13) and I.
My Mother went through two years of Alzheimer’s and broken hips etc until she passed last year.
For the last 6-8 months she was basically ‘gone’ and immobile. We had to carry her to the bathroom etc.
Just laying this out so y’all Will know I do have some idea of how hard it is to care for someone.
Instead of paying his contractor's insurance ($400), he took the money to buy a flatscreen tv.
His wife refused to work, and spent grocery money on waxing her "personal regions" and getting her nails done.
They let their car insurance and registration lapse.
Their child went without even the CHIP insurance.
It was not until we completely cut them off, let them get evicted, etc., that they actually started doing things for themselves -- complaining bitterly the whole time about the unfairness of it all, because they "needed" the help.
philetus,
You understand what I meant.
See my post #29. Headstamp should know where I am coming from. I was being not ‘cold’ or ‘ignorant’.
A number of years ago, I worked for a big company that paid tuition benefits. They were pretty liberal about it and only required you to pay tuition up front for up to 9 credits/semester then they would reimburse you as long as you got a C or better grade.
I knew a couple of guys who were both eligible for GI Bill tuition yet were pissed that the company wouldn't also pay for the same classes. Instead of going back to school (either college or trade school) to improve their skills, they both only wanted to do it as a way to get extra cash and saw the company's program not as a help, but as an entitlement. I talked to them about it and they really did not understand. That was their mentality.
The shelters are full.”
Shelters are first come, first served.
Are you on dial up?
BUT, I spent a lot of time in Compton about 20 years ago. Even before the gang situation got out of hand the entire city was a very dangerous place.
Palmdale today is nowhere nearly as bad, except in certain neighborhoods, and even those appear as peaceful oases to those who visit on weekends from the ghettos down below.
Exactly...that same mentality...shocking...we don’t even think on that level. We don’t look to the government to take care of us. We’re not looking for hand outs...
“Some neighborhood homes that are worth allot of money get the Section 8 approved and it really brings the property values down with those who trash the low income homes.”
What is really special is mixing Section 8 folks in with folks that are trying to pay a mortgage and raise a family.
Nothing more joyful than coming home after a long commute and seeing your section 8 neighbors barbecuing and having a good time drinking beer in their front lawn, after stealing everything that is not locked down at your house.
I’ve personally observed a quiet neighborhood turn into a slum in less than 18 months, courtesy of Sect 8 and a housing price slump (this was in CA).
Folks realize they are upside down and don’t have the cash when it is time to move- so they opt for Section 8....making more homes upside down.....more section 8 houses.....
Section 8 is a bailout to landlords as much as anything - landlords LOVE it....they get guaranteed rent payments, and repairs.
This will be coming to the DC area suburbs very soon, in my opinion.
My mom had Alzheimer’s, and a bad hip, so I definitely know where you’re coming from. She had to be placed in a care facility, because I couldn’t manage her. She had a hip replacement, but the lazy PT dept. wouldn’t work with her, so she never walked unassisted again. In fact, when they saw me coming, they hid!
It is hard to care for someone. The young woman I was talking about, well her bank statements are sent to our house. She can’t handle money. She doesn’t, or wasn’t taught boundaries.
Yeah, politicians are sure generous with other people's money. Maybe it's just me, but I believe charity should be voluntary.
You all did your level best, and your brother and SIL blew it. A flatscreen TV? Waxing and nails? Sheesh...
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