F&^%in Section 8 - Rant

[Guest abailey362]

****disclaimer - this thread is not directed at any race and should not be construed as so. all events described were across a vast array of nationalities*****

Just needed to vent for a minute. Been driving around Atlanta suburbs all day looking for a house to rent and I cringe at the sight of section 8 accepted. Once nice houses in once nice neighboorhoods (less than 5 years old) all run down with crap everywhere and massive groups of people just sitting and doing nothing everywhere.

There are gonna be government handouts.....i've learned to deal with it and know that it is what it is. But for f*ck's sake, at least only make it eligible in houses that would sell for less than 150k. If you need help, live like it. I bust my ass to provide nice things for my family and don't expect it to be screwed up by those that I already give damn near 40% of my income to.

/rant

[Guest SUNTZU]

Housing officials claim surplus - Updates - NOLA.com

She's ready to watch LSU play TN, don't you think?

"It's pitiful what people give you."

[R1100R]

I moved to Middle TN area about 10 years ago. I grew up in the Atlanta area. You couldn't give me a Million dollars and a house to move back.

Give it six months and you will find alot more to be pissed off about Atlanta.

I am happy for your promotion. I just really hated living in the Atlanta area.

[Guest mikedwood]

Neil Boortz is bent about the Section 8 program covering all of Atlanta. I guess it's a try at mixing income levels.

I use to work on apartments for a company that rented to those with Section 8 vouchers. Some of the tenets were great and I was glad they were getting help, some were lazy, some so nasty it was like a horror movie going into their home, also many had severe mental issues.

[Guest grimel]

Neil Boortz is bent about the Section 8 program covering all of Atlanta. I guess it's a try at mixing income levels.

So when are they going to give me a voucher so I can live in a $500,000 house? If they don't have the income they shouldn't live in the area. Enough of my tax dollars are wasted on providing housing for people who don't put forth any effort to waste ANY of it on housing above what a person making $25-30K can afford. If they want to live in a $200,000 a house neighborhood how about they try a novel concept and get a job that pays enough to buy the house?

[Guest Jamie]

Hell, if more people lived in houses they could actually afford, the economy probably wouldn't be in the mess it's in, and there might not be so many banks MIA.

The point being here that it's not just the section 8 people who are living way above their means.

But then, it's both the banks and the government that's letting people get away with that crap, isn't it?

[BryanP]

But for f*ck's sake, at least only make it eligible in houses that would sell for less than 150k.

Those of us who live in rather more modest homes* aren't exactly enamored of the idea of our neighborhoods being overrun with Section 8 housing.

*$117K, for example - my home was more than adequate for my wife and I, and now is even more adequate that it's just me).

[strickj]

I'm afraid it'll get worse before it gets better with sec8.

One case in point,I've get a buddy who built 4 fairly nice rental homes about a year ago in a new subdivision.

Now normally he could get about 800 a month out of these properties which is a great deal,but with the way things are,he hasn't been able to even rent one of these in the year since he built them.

His only option ATM is to reduce his rent,and accept section 8 to keep from going bankrupt.

The downside is having to deal with the bureaucracy that comes with sec8,and having less then desirables residing in these homes.

The up side is they're rented keeping him out of bankruptcy,and sec8 never pays late.

It sucks that its happening,but it'll continue until housing turns back around

Edited July 26, 2009 by strickj

[Guest abailey362]

Those of us who live in rather more modest homes* aren't exactly enamored of the idea of our neighborhoods being overrun with Section 8 housing.

*$117K, for example - my home was more than adequate for my wife and I, and now is even more adequate that it's just me).

I was just using examples of a couple of neighboorhoods that we were looking in. There were houses listed at 150K+ for sale next to the rent sign that said sec8 and had a smiley face - can't help with moving the other house too much either

[MacGyver]

I grew up in Atlanta and all of my family is there. PM me if you want to talk about pros/cons of particular neighborhoods.

[TripleDigitRide]

I guess it's a try at mixing income levels.

That simply doesn't work, and Nashville/Davidson County is a perfect example.

When I moved here about 15 years ago, cities like Hermitage, Antioch, Madison, etc were still decent places to live. Then the City of Nashville and Davidson County thought it would be a spectacular idea to close several housing projects near downtown, and casually move all the ghetto dwellers into the suburbs.

They did this, all while claiming that integrating low-income families/children into middle-class schools and neighborhoods would magically make the low-income familes/children better people. It took only a very short time to realize just the opposite was happening. if it made anyone better, it was a very, very small number of people.

Of course these folks leaving the housing projects couldn't afford the higher rent payments that came with the nicer neighborhoods, and of course the government was going to foot at least a large portion the bill. This works great for those who've just been transplanted into the nicer homes and apartments, and it also works great for the owners of said apartments and homes.

Owners of these properties love Section-8, because it's like guaranteed money in the bank. A very large portion, if not every penny of the rent comes from the government, so there's almost no worries about getting paid. Even if the tenant doesn;t pay to the point of being evicted, the property owner has likely already received most of their money. If you or I don't pay, they are out ALL of the money.

Bottom line is, moving people who've spent generation after generation living in housing projects into the nicer areas did nothing but ruin once decent areas. The neighborhoods went downhill, and so did the already crappy schools.

[Guest 3pugguy]

****disclaimer - this thread is not directed at any race and should not be construed as so. all events described were across a vast array of nationalities*****

Just needed to vent for a minute. Been driving around Atlanta suburbs all day looking for a house to rent and I cringe at the sight of section 8 accepted. Once nice houses in once nice neighboorhoods (less than 5 years old) all run down with crap everywhere and massive groups of people just sitting and doing nothing everywhere.

There are gonna be government handouts.....i've learned to deal with it and know that it is what it is. But for f*ck's sake, at least only make it eligible in houses that would sell for less than 150k. If you need help, live like it. I bust my ass to provide nice things for my family and don't expect it to be screwed up by those that I already give damn near 40% of my income to.

/rant

I agree with you and understand 100% your point. I lived in San Diego county from 93-05 and saw a lot of the same things.

Because of my late Mama, I tend to be soft-hearted and cannot stand the thought of a kid or an old person doing without. But I am really tired of the whole handout mentality of this country and agree with your observations.

My two cents, a large part of the issue is getting the gov't involved; the best programs that I know of are a mix of community non-profits/churches and keep the gov't at arms length.

[Guest redbarron06]

I am in the ATL area right now visiting my inlaws. Lived here for a while and when I moved back to Nashville it was like night and day. I would rather have a root canal than come back down but with my wifes entire family here I dont get a choice. When you are working up your budget dont forget that GA has state income tax, higher car insurance and it can cost up to $500 per year just to put tags on your car. I hope you got a nice pay raise to off set what you will be paying out.

[Smith]

Housing officials claim surplus - Updates - NOLA.com

She's ready to watch LSU play TN, don't you think?

"It's pitiful what people give you."

Sharon Jasper sits in the living room of her voucher-backed private residence. "I might be poor but I don't like to live poor. I thank God for a place to live but it's pitiful what people give you."

[Guest bkelm18]

Holy sh*t! Her apartment is 10 times nicer than mine! That's friggin ridiculous.

[Guest mikedwood]

So when are they going to give me a voucher so I can live in a $500,000 house? If they don't have the income they shouldn't live in the area. Enough of my tax dollars are wasted on providing housing for people who don't put forth any effort to waste ANY of it on housing above what a person making $25-30K can afford. If they want to live in a $200,000 a house neighborhood how about they try a novel concept and get a job that pays enough to buy the house?

I didn't say I was for it Grimel. I think it would be crazy as crazy can be to rent a $200,000 house to a Section 8 tenet or $500,000 I can't imagine. Not to mention the fact that the house would have a much higher chance of being destroyed in a year or so.

[Guest grimel]

But then, it's both the banks and the government that's letting people get away with that crap, isn't it?

Nope, it's the fed gov (specifically, Carter & Clinton and the Dems in the house and senate headed by Obama, Kennedy, Frank, and Waters). The banks were avoiding legal action.