Posted on 10/20/2007 10:46:29 AM PDT by Lorianne
complex into their own house, she promises not to look back. That might not be a problem.
She and her family are trading in their cramped apartment in the heart of a concrete campus of one- and two-story "projects" for a tree-lined single-family home in one of Atlanta's best neighborhoods, the Cascades.
Housing Authority's sweeping plan to get rid of virtually all the city's traditional public housing facilities. Jonesboro South is one of five that are being cleared out this year. In the coming years, seven more — including the notorious Bankhead Courts and Bowen Homes — will close and be replaced by market-rate, mixed-income communities like Centennial Place, the Villages of East Lake and the Village at Castleberry Hill.
Renee Glover, executive director of the Atlanta Housing Authority, said that in the end, traditional public housing will have all but vanished in Atlanta with the exception of a dozen senior citizen towers and two very small conventional properties currently tucked away in residential areas.
"That will not, however, mean that the Housing Authority is abandoning its mission to provide great housing opportunity for people in Atlanta," Glover said. "We are doing it differently, providing better outlets for families."
Rather than concentrating low-income people in specified areas and housing, the agency is giving displaced families Section 8 vouchers, which pay a portion of rent for a private apartment or house the family finds on its own. In addition to the Jacksons, more than 700 families are moving out of the soon-to-close complexes of Jonesboro South, Jonesboro North, Leila Valley, U-Rescue Villa and Englewood Manor.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Jeez, how can it possibly be a good idea?
If I'm not mistaken, I believe it was Bush's idea...
Perhaps, he's issued secret orders for bombs to be dropped on these Section 8 homes once the poor people move in. For his "amusement", of course...
Section 8 ruins nice neighborhoods. Those who get the vouchers rarely treat their houses well, and then the whole neighborhood starts going downhill.
Over time the people using the sec.8 vouchers will be re- segregated into the towns that are poor. Upper class and middle class towns and neighborhoods are desirable to live in and apartments get rented without the govt. paying for it.
If you were the landlord who would you prefer as a tenant? The individual with good credit, good job and an interest in maintaining both, or the individual (usually single mom with a couple kids) with no job, no credit and no history of taking care of other peoples property.
Section 8 vouchers does neither. All they do is perpetuate slumlords and impoverish neighborhoods.
You are so right!
When sec. 8 comes, hardworking blue collar, lower middle class, working poor move out. The neighborhood, or town, begins to lose retail business, then the tax base deteriorates and the infrastructure stops being maintained. The final stage the neighborhood, or town, becomes dependent on state or federal govt.
One of the problems with section 8 vouchers is their permanency. All welfare should be time limited except to perhaps the truly disabled. Section 8 vouchers create permanent dependency. Many lazy and able people use Section 8 vouchers. Time limits would force these lazy people to get a job and make something of themselves.
I have seen over and over brand new Section 8 housing get turned into a trash heap in less than a year by the folks living there.
I hate to say this but, for what ever reason, most folks that use Section 8 housing have little pride in their housing.
Slumlords who don’t want to keep their property up, who might be just holding the property to sell at a later time ... those landlords love Section 8 housing. It give them income with minimum upkeep on their part.
If they wanted to take care of the property, they could get higher rents.
This will fail for the same reason the projects failed. The tenants will destroy their own homes, and the entire surrounding areas.
Great point. The problem is govt. bureaucracy loves creating dependent classes and keeping them that way. It creates job security. The politicians love these programs for the same reason, they have a whole class of people who need them.
I know when welfare reform was passed they put time limits in it and the rolls began to decline, but since then they have expanded the other programs such as Sec. 8 vouchers to pick up the slack. Maybe the solution is creating a welfare bureaucracy that houses, and trains people. IOW, if you're on aid you report to class at 8AM Monday-Friday and stay till 4PM. When you don't show you lose your spot including the housing and your kids get put into foster care.
You are right. If they can get a better long term return by fixing and maintaining the property, why rent to Sec 8 tenants?
It is also difficult to get rid of section 8 bums. Once a landlord takes on section 8 bums, government at some level will fight to make you continue serving them.
Bums and freeloaders
You must have some experience with this. :-)
In addition to getting rid of them, the govt. comes in and demands repairs before any more payments for the vouchers will be made. IOW, if the tenant tears the place apart you have to fix it, then the govt will pay the rent. The tenant tears it apart again and you fix it again or you sell the property to someone like me.
I fight to empty the entire building. I then fix the building and begin renting to people with some degree of credit. The rents I can charge are less (sec 8 lures landlords in by paying above market value) but the repair costs begin to drop dramtically.
“I have seen over and over brand new Section 8 housing get turned into a trash heap in less than a year by the folks living there.”
Like you, I hate to say it....but can see no reason to be P.C. With bigger yards and greenery all many of them will see it as is more room to dump the garbage and more places to hide drugs and illegal activities. I learned long ago that when looking for a place to live, ask if they take Section 8 Vouchers. If they say yes, find a better place to rent.
Sec. 8 is cosmetic only. It does nothing to change the mindset. Only a job can do that.
Thanks for proving the point.
It is a self segregating program. In the end the Sec 8 tenants end up surrounded by other Sec 8 tenants. Then the slums are owned by individuals and not the govt.
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