NY Landlords Turning Away Section 8 Renters
The NY Times reports that in the hot rental market of NYC, many landlords are refusing Section 8 renters:
With many voucher holders in the city having difficulty finding an apartment, housing activists are debating the program’s effectiveness and are raising questions about what role, if any, race and class play in some landlords’ refusal to rent to voucher holders, the majority of whom are black or Hispanic.Unlike many cities, including Chicago and Washington, New York City — home of the largest Section 8 program in the country — has never had a law prohibiting discrimination against voucher holders.
But with the city’s supply of subsidized housing shrinking, housing activists and some City Council members say such a law is needed more now than ever.
Comments
There may be issues regarding race or ethnicity. I would suggest there is a factor concerning class that cannot be overlooked.
People who refuse to care for the dwelling, in fact some leaving it nearly destroyed, would be shunned. Subsidized rent can lead to slum lords simply unable to foot the bills for maintaining the destroyed facilities.
Posted by: Larry Stanley | October 30, 2007 02:17 PM
Does anyone know if HC has a law mandating that landlords allow Section 8 renters to occupy and destroy the physical characteristics of a property while destroying the financial characteristics of all other properties within a one mile radius? Or, is it the selfish greed of the landlord cross breeding with the classless mannerisms of the tenents that has created this malady?
If we do, how difficult would it be to repeal such a law and send the parasites packing for another county?
Here is a thought that might help drive the parasites away, What if the Board of Ed zones all occupants of rental property to the same school district...let's face it, we are close to that now with Duhtown, the correction facility, and Luella, all resembling each other...but can we make it official?
Finally, perhaps the HC Housing Authority could provide its own vouchers and send the riff raff packing for some rancid sanddrift in lower Alabama...
Posted by: HCCynic | October 30, 2007 02:58 PM