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.
Probably too fat to walk...think Walmart scooter chair fat.
Now they want to force renters to accept section 8? what crap
much bigger deposits coming
Interesting how everything is about the new immigrants and getting them settled with rent/home, drivers license, education, and food stamps. What next?
I don’t want to know
Thanks to Federal judges, in today's world she could just marry another section8 shemale and combine broods (without name changes) and double up on the benefits by claiming each other's brood. The illegals do it all the time.
Under the Section 8 federal housing voucher program, thousands of poor, urban and often African-American residents have left hardscrabble neighborhoods in the nation’s largest cities and resettled in the suburbs.
The left doesn’t care a whit about these people. They are bringing their VOTES with them, that’s all that matters to the Dems.
Refuse Sec. 8!
Introducing Section 8 housing nothing more than injecting cancer into a neighborhood. Nothing kills the quality of a neighborhood quicker. Welfarians don’t give two sh*ts about their surroundings because they don’t have an emotional or monetary investment in the community.
Smart landlords don’t want the regulations and human debris that go along with Section 8 housing. There, fixed it.
Which is why soon they won’t have the choice.
Smartest thing the community could do is have some business people buy out the complex, rerent and sell to someone who lives in the community and has the same values.
Cheaper on the police force too.
Good idea - thanks for the reply!
Take “section 8” and your place will be trashed and you have no recourse. Drugs will be sold on your property and you’ll be held responsible. There will be fires and shooting on your property, and you’ll get the bill.
The left hates private property and doesn’t give a $h!t that you worked hard to buy your property.
Not necessarily. 2000 a month is near the top end for ssdi. She could be getting just SSI. SSI is income based and also can be for disability if you have never worked, or do not have enough work credits.
It’s good that landlords can use the “too much paperwork” excuse to not have to rent to thug drug dealers and ho’s.
I have seen dramatic changes in the demographics here in Fresno, CA in the last three years and the third article explains why. The city feels like the sec 8 residents have moved from Oakland and LA and have landed in the central valley. There is no reason for these welfare recipients to live here except that there must be an abundance of sec 8 housing . It is amazing how fast the government can crap up your city.
The important thing is that Democrat voters are being imported.
My sister in law and brother in law have 3 rentals. As soon as the words Section 8 come up they just escort the people out the door and good bye Joe.
You racist bastard! /s
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.