Moving to Atlanta with income based section 8 (2014, apartment complexes)

[cjacksonjr1991]

Im a 23 year old recent college graduate living in NYC (originally from TN). I am highly considering moving to Atl because of the cost/quality of living in the city and also I just really hate it here (nice area but crappy landlord). I have spent hundreds on taking city exams to increase income, but it still would be a struggle to pay $1300 for a 1 bedroom plus other expenses.

I wanted to know if any one has any idea on the process transferring a NYC voucher to Atl?
If there is a grace period for finding work or if I must be employed down there upon arrival?
Are there city/state/gov. exams that are offered such as in NYC?
Is gosection8.com a legitimate website for housing?
Are there any decent apartment complexes that i could look into?
Should I have references? Apartment or house?

I will be graduating from basic training in the spring (hopefully the VA will help), and my lease is over in October, so I would like to make the transition as easy as possible. Just looking for a decent place start out and eventually raise my socio-economic status to get off of section 8. Atl would easier place to do so. Any useful feedback would be helpful.

[tarnishaluvsdontae]

Welcome!

[hatgirl007]

Confused?
23 year old recent college graduate living in NYC seeking section 8. Really. No comment because I just can't get past the desire to look for section 8 when you are educated. Are you asking how to milk a system that tax payers support so you don't have to take the actions of a responsible adult when relocating or making changes in your life?
Have no idea how to answer your question or information about section 8

[Larry X]

Im not surprised he's looking for assistance he's in the worst position you can be in in America now, the Middle Class. He makes too much money for public assistance, but not enough to make a decent living.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by cjacksonjr1991

Im a 23 year old recent college graduate living in NYC (originally from TN). I am highly considering moving to Atl because of the cost/quality of living in the city and also I just really hate it here (nice area but crappy landlord). I have spent hundreds on taking city exams to increase income, but it still would be a struggle to pay $1300 for a 1 bedroom plus other expenses.

I wanted to know if any one has any idea on the process transferring a NYC voucher to Atl?
If there is a grace period for finding work or if I must be employed down there upon arrival?
Are there city/state/gov. exams that are offered such as in NYC?
Is gosection8.com a legitimate website for housing?
Are there any decent apartment complexes that i could look into?
Should I have references? Apartment or house?

I will be graduating from basic training in the spring (hopefully the VA will help), and my lease is over in October, so I would like to make the transition as easy as possible. Just looking for a decent place start out and eventually raise my socio-economic status to get off of section 8. Atl would easier place to do so. Any useful feedback would be helpful.

Atlanta would not necessarily be an easier place to do so, mainly because jobs are very hard to get there. The jobs that are there are often low paying if you are not in IT or a STEM field. Having an education or lots of experience makes it no easier to get a job there.

Also a lot of the section 8 housing in Atlanta is in bad areas. Atlanta has a lot of crime, and many of it suburbs are no better. So you will have to be very careful where you choose to live. The nice areas there are expensive, so you will be hard pressed to find anyone that takes section 8 in those areas. Atlanta is a place where the housing is either very expensive and unaffordable or cheap and unsafe. There is not a whole lot available in between its far as housing there.

Atlanta is ranked as having the worst upward mobility. So, if you don't walk into the door in Atlanta finding a job that pays a high salary, it will be very hard for you to find one that does. If you start off making low pay in Atlanta there's a very good chance that you will stay there, especially if you are black.

Atlanta maybe cheaper than New York, but there is not a lot of opportunity there. Also, Atlanta is very expensive against the low salaries that they pay there. Atlanta is not is cheap as people claim and it is getting more and more expensive.

[Tarzanman]

Originally Posted by cjacksonjr1991

Im a 23 year old recent college graduate living in NYC (originally from TN). I am highly considering moving to Atl because of the cost/quality of living in the city and also I just really hate it here (nice area but crappy landlord). I have spent hundreds on taking city exams to increase income, but it still would be a struggle to pay $1300 for a 1 bedroom plus other expenses.

I wanted to know if any one has any idea on the process transferring a NYC voucher to Atl?
If there is a grace period for finding work or if I must be employed down there upon arrival?
Are there city/state/gov. exams that are offered such as in NYC?
Is gosection8.com a legitimate website for housing?
Are there any decent apartment complexes that i could look into?
Should I have references? Apartment or house?

I will be graduating from basic training in the spring (hopefully the VA will help), and my lease is over in October, so I would like to make the transition as easy as possible. Just looking for a decent place start out and eventually raise my socio-economic status to get off of section 8. Atl would easier place to do so. Any useful feedback would be helpful.

Be careful moving to Atlanta. You won't see any news stories about it, but the unemployment rate here is one of the highest in the country. Of the top 66 U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest unemployment (as measured September 2014), 11 of the cities are in Georgia! Atlanta is #49 for unemployment.... which doesn't sound bad until you realize that there are 372 metro areas on the list, putting the Atlanta metro area in the bottom sixth! Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas

Yes, rent is cheaper here than NYC, but so is everywhere (except for San Francisco, perhaps).

If you want to make a move, then I would do some heavy internet research to find out which cities offer the best job opportunities for your field. You are young and can afford to spend 2 years establishing yourself

[AcidSnake]

Actually The New York Times did publish an article some time ago about Atlanta having the worst upward mobility in the nation.

But you are right in the general sense that most of the media including those in Georgia are pretty much sweeping this situation under the rug.

We just can't have these incovenient little stories ruining the carefully crafted image of the Atlanta success story now, can we?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/bu...s.html?hp&_r=0

Originally Posted by Tarzanman

Be careful moving to Atlanta. You won't see any news stories about it, but the unemployment rate here is one of the highest in the country. Of the top 66 U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest unemployment (as measured September 2014), 11 of the cities are in Georgia! Atlanta is #49 for unemployment.... which doesn't sound bad until you realize that there are 372 metro areas on the list, putting the Atlanta metro area in the bottom sixth! Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas

Yes, rent is cheaper here than NYC, but so is everywhere (except for San Francisco, perhaps).

If you want to make a move, then I would do some heavy internet research to find out which cities offer the best job opportunities for your field. You are young and can afford to spend 2 years establishing yourself