I think my family are nimbys, also, has to do with Glendale (Los Angeles: low income, fit in)

[Chicano3000X]

THere are some new construction projects going on around the area everytime I go to glendale. On san fernando and los feliz blvd just in front of a Vons supermarket, they tore down a burger king and an auto shop. From what I hear there is a new apartment building planned. Then on colorado going towards the freeway, just passing pacific there is more apartments being built.

My family doesnt like the idea. They say they probably might be section 8, and they wont like the congestion.

First, if glendale is blowing up(getting better), why put section 8?

2nd, we live in a city, it's inevitable. Density and going vertical is what happens to a city when sprawl reaches it's limit. Only way to go is up. My cuz thinks sprawl is good. It's a representation of progress and growth. Is that true? I always seen people bash sprawl.

[Tasksgirl]

Those apartments on Colorado are amazing. (Icis) They are definitely luxury inside. We toured them and checked out the pricing. The studios start at $1800+ We almost reserved one but we need to sell our house first and we aren't quite ready.

I think we are going to rent at the Eleve instead though. Those are green certified and the offgassing of the new materials at Icis concerns me. Plus I like the location better (right by the marketplace)

[Senno]

Originally Posted by Chicano3000X

THere are some new construction projects going on around the area everytime I go to glendale. On san fernando and los feliz blvd just in front of a Vons supermarket, they tore down a burger king and an auto shop. From what I hear there is a new apartment building planned. Then on colorado going towards the freeway, just passing pacific there is more apartments being built.

My family doesnt like the idea. They say they probably might be section 8, and they wont like the congestion.

First, if glendale is blowing up(getting better), why put section 8?

2nd, we live in a city, it's inevitable. Density and going vertical is what happens to a city when sprawl reaches it's limit. Only way to go is up. My cuz thinks sprawl is good. It's a representation of progress and growth. Is that true? I always seen people bash sprawl.

As to the first, poorer people still need a place to live, and the Feds come a-knockin if there's not enough low income housing available in an area.

[jm1982]

I think generally homeowners of Single Family Homes aren't too happy when apartment buildings get built near their homes. Even if it's 'luxury' they view them as lowly renters and the complex as bringing down the neighborhood.

[kttam186290]

Originally Posted by Chicano3000X

THere are some new construction projects going on around the area everytime I go to glendale. On san fernando and los feliz blvd just in front of a Vons supermarket, they tore down a burger king and an auto shop. From what I hear there is a new apartment building planned. Then on colorado going towards the freeway, just passing pacific there is more apartments being built.

My family doesnt like the idea. They say they probably might be section 8, and they wont like the congestion.

First, if glendale is blowing up(getting better), why put section 8?

2nd, we live in a city, it's inevitable. Density and going vertical is what happens to a city when sprawl reaches it's limit. Only way to go is up. My cuz thinks sprawl is good. It's a representation of progress and growth. Is that true? I always seen people bash sprawl.

Federal and state law both require that a certain number of units in a residential zone be set aside for "low income people", which is a broad term and can mean the elderly, disabled, homeless veterans or Section 8.

Honestly, I can't say I blame your family for being weary of Section 8. Many of the people who use that program have given it a very bad reputation.

[jm1982]

True , entire buildings of Section 8 tenants aren't desirable..but it's unlikely that an entire brand new luxury building would be filled with Section 8 tenants... There is always the fear i guess that the building could go downhill in the future and go all section 8 though...seems kind of unlikely though.

[Queenslyn Person]

I am an ignorant sucker. I admit it. But I have always wondered this: what is "Section 8", and how does it work?

I'm going to Wikipedia it as well, because I have been curious about this a long time, and your thread, about Glendale, is as good a place to start as any.

(Gets look of ಠ_ಠ at the announcement of Section 8 in Glendale. Because if it's what I think it is... wow, how things have really changed!)

[Queenslyn Person]

Reading the Section 8 Wiki...

Wow

[kttam186290]

@Queenslyn

Section 8 is a housing voucher program funded by the federal government (via HUD) and administered locally by the city or county housing authority.

It started out as a program to help the disabled and senior citizens with a partially subsidized rental income. However, during the Nixon Administration, it was expanded. During the Nixon Administration, the goal of HUD was to basically end the tall housing urban units known as "projects" and "de-concentrate" poverty by giving people in projects Section 8 housing vouchers and allowing them to move to nearby areas or distant suburbs or even out of state (I'll explain later). Many people will argue, however, that expanding Section 8 has been highly controversial and had negative consequences, such as importing crime to areas that were once considered safe and creating unsafe schools where schools were once highly ranked and performed well. Section 8 renters can use their vouchers in almost any city, but they tend to gravitate to where there are larger houses. With the downturn in the economy and housing market, many people who owned homes in the suburbs and exurbs opted to rent those homes out to Section 8 tenants rather than lose them back to the bank. In a lot of cases, this aggravated the situation even more and enraged many natives and residents who bought in the area for the better quality of life it offered. In addition, many people criticize the program for allowing people to live in nice houses that they claim they didn't work hard for and earn, and to be able to do so on the backs of those taxpayers who were responsible with their own mortgages. This is a common refrain of those agitated with Section 8. The truth of that matter is that most people would be okay with Section 8 tenants if they did what they could to fit in to the neighborhoods they came to and not bring dysfunction and chaos with them.

When you are given a Section 8 voucher, you can leave the city or county or the state you were given the voucher in. So, a person who is given a voucher in Los Angeles can take it and move out to San Bernardino County, or they can move to Las Vegas, Nevada. When you move, you have to contact the housing authority in the area you are planning to move to. So if you live in Los Angeles and want to move to Las Vegas, you must contact the housing authority in Clark County, Nevada. When you move from one housing authority to another, it is called "porting". A person leaving LA and moving to Las Vegas will be "porting in" to Clark County. You are only allowed to "port" a couple of times, maybe three at the most. The person living in a Section 8 unit is subject to a list of rules and scrutiny from the housing authority, but that is only if the housing authority is active in enforcing the rules themselves.

Here in L.A., many of the former projects were torn down or condemned and residents were given vouchers. Many of these residents moved to other parts of LA such as Van Nuys, but the bulk of them ended up out in San Bernardino, Rialto, Moreno Valley, Victorville, Highland, Hemet, Lancaster and out of state in Las Vegas, NV and Phoenix, AZ.

While many people may be angry about an influx of Section 8 coming to their city and angry about what looks to be the misuse of taxpayer dollars, the truth of the matter is that Section 8 renters usually live a very shiftless life. They can get a phone call at the drop of a hat telling them that they now have 60-30 days to move to another location, so they cannot get used to living in any one area. As the housing market stabilizes and starts to rise again, many of the people who are using Section 8 will find out how unsettling it truly can be as the owner of the house they're residing in decides to sell it for a profit and they are either forced to move longer distances or squeezed back into revamped housing projects and apartments.

[jm1982]

Good insight into the Section 8 program. I didn't realize it was expanded under Nixon.

I agree that Section 8 vouchers could be better than entire subsidized housing projects.

But I could see the issues when you have entire buildings or blocks of buildings that are primarily Section 8..

I'm sure that is the case in a lot of areas where its harder to rent to a cash tenant.

Then it's almost as if you might as well just have the projects for the most part.

Best would be to have a mix of tenants ,but of course this always doesn't work out.

Do you happen to know the percentage of L.A units that are Section 8 rentals? It would be interesting to know.

I am sure some upscale areas have very few while lower income areas have a bunch.

What are the chances a Landlord in Brentwood for example will rent section 8?