1930 Almaden Apartments kick out tenants with decent incomes (San Jose: section 8, renter)

[mysticaltyger]

I got a letter from my apartment manager on my door. The gist of it is that we're under new ownership and they are going to get government money to make renovations.

However, the government program they got money from stipuates that residents have to have incomes not above certain thresholds. The maximum income for a 1 person houshold: $44850
2 person hh: $50,940
3 person hh: $57,300
4 person hh: $63,660

etc.

My income is about 5K above the limit so I will be forced to move when my lease expires.

That means I'll probably end up paying at least $100 more for an equivalent apartment somewhere else or go back to having roommates again.

My apartment costs $850 a month but new tenants are paying $950 for studio apartments.

These government programs really **** me off in a major way. I've set up my life so that I can keep my rent to 20% of my income so that I can save for retirement and not live payday to payday my whole life.....and the government comes in and basically tells me I make to much.

So I get penalized for living frugally and setting up my life so that I won't live in financial crisis mode....while those who make poor choices or live in crisis mode get fully renovated apartments.

I have to wonder how many people who will be able to live here won't be illegal immigrants. I suspect we have some living here now. That just gets my ire up a little more.

[Ultrarunner]

Careful what you ask for... you just might get it.

This is part of the Government response to the call for quality affordable housing.

[Luke9686]

I feel for you. Many are helped by these programs, but few deserve it from what I have witnessed.

[moovin]

You should ask your apartment owners if it's legal for them to kick you out just so they could get a lower income renter in place of you and then get additional subsidized rent money for that new renter. Tell them you want it in writing and then investigate the legality of it.

Otherwise, if you're getting below-market rate housing and now you have to get market rate housing I can't see how you're being screwed - you're like everyone else then.

[jmw1]

I got booted from my last San Jose apartment because of excessive income too. It might be a small blessing in disguise because my complex went down the toilet in the last few months as more high income people got the boot.

[missingcol]

Originally Posted by Luke9686

I feel for you. Many are helped by these programs, but few deserve it from what I have witnessed.

Exactly! That is part of the reason why we have 14B budget deficit.

[sonarrat]

Section 8 is the perfect case in point of why liberal-socialist policies don't really work in California. The more we tend towards being a welfare state, the more regular people get squeezed, only to be rewarded with a lower quality of life.

[Ultrarunner]

My college Econ professor said, "Subsidies serve to increase whatever is being subsidized"

This is not a comment on Section 8, but rather, a real world example of the way things work.

Not all people on Section 8 make it a career... for some, it truly is a stop gap or a stepping stone to independence.

[Alexus]

Not everyone has a good start in life. Not everyone in these programs is there by choice or chooses to remain there indefinitely. These programs are needed and justified.

Good luck in finding something else.

[aslowdodge]

Unbelievable. I really feel for you. You can see the incentive not to work hard in life because on you way to succceeding you will be treated worse then some who would just milk the system.