Housing Discrimination Will Not Be Tolerated In Massachusetts (Boston, Newton: coupons, apartment)

[capecodcathy]

Simply because someone has fallen on hard times and qualifies for some form of state assistance, should not mean they must uproot their families.

[datacity12]

Originally Posted by Dont discriminate

I am employed full time, I am a single parent, and I qualify for Section 8 because I make under $45,000. I have been looking for apartments for 2 months and cannot find anyone in Newton, MA (where I had been living) to rent me an apartment because I have a section 8 voucher.
I agree with the previous comments that home owners have a right to rent their unit to whoever they wish, however landlords should always obtain, references from previous landlords, employment verification etc. If
the individual who applied for the unit passes these verifications they should be allowed to rent the unit.
I have been advised to look at apartments in the city of Boston since Boston landlords seem to WANT section 8 vouchers (probably for the reasons mentioned above....charge over market rent etc.).
I dont believe I should be forced to live in an area NOT of my choice because I have a section 8 voucher. I am a extremely clean tenant, pay my rent on time, hardworking individual paying taxes, I treat my apartment as it was my own because thats where I am raising my daughter.
Due to the amount of time that has gone by not being able to find an apartment in Newton, MA , I have started looking in the surrounding towns, which has my daughter devasted about going to a different school and having to make new friends.
I advise landlords to continue to review applications and make a decision based on qualifications and not a voucher. A tenant who has a voucher is like a tenant who has a co-signer, section 8 will always have the rent deposited on time and with these economic times will also pay the full amount in any case of a lay-off.

I'm shocked. I thought Section 8 was for poor people!

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by capecodcathy

Simply because someone has fallen on hard times and qualifies for some form of state assistance, should not mean they must uproot their families.

Why not? I earn over 45K and can't afford Newton, nor do I complain. It sure beats the street.

[JohnyDrew]

The same Newton where the average house is retailing for about 700k? I can't afford to buy into newton and I don't even have kids, and both my spouse and I make a decent living.

[LeavingMA]

Nothing like squashing property rights.

[miu]

Originally Posted by capecodcathy

Simply because someone has fallen on hard times and qualifies for some form of state assistance, should not mean they must uproot their families.

Newton is a desirable city to live in. The public schools are excellent and funded by high property taxes. In particular, the new Newton North high school was ridiculously expensive to build. I'm not sure why I am expected to feel sympathy for someone on Section 8 housing who can't find an apartment in Newton.

Dont Discriminate doesn't really give us enough details about her situation. How long has she lived in Newton? How old is her daughter? Why wouldn't her current landlord renew her lease? How much does she make a year? Saying that she makes less than $45K is too vague. And what about child support from the father of her child? And perhaps if she could find an apartment or house share, she and her daughter could stay in Newton cheaper, but with an apartment or house share, she might be unable to use her Section 8 voucher.

And just because she qualifies for Section 8 housing, doesn't mean that she has to use it. I know many people that could have collected unemployment or food stamps at some point in their lives, but chose not to do so.

Lastly, as a child, my parents moved us around a lot due to my dad's choice of work. From K-2, we were in NYC. In 3rd grade, we were in Portugal. In 4th grade, we were in Sudbury, MA. Finally, the rest of my grade school career was in Concord, MA. Us kids were sad to lose friends, but there were positives in moving also. And we did just fine. Dont Discriminate's daughter will do fine in a new school. And as children, it's good to accept and understand that we can't have everything we want.

I also wish that Newton wasn't so expensive to live in, especially the high property taxes since I don't have children to use the school system, but it's all about supply and demand. Because this is such a terrific and safe city to live in, many want to live here which drives the real estate values up. And the wonderful suburban feel this area has would be ruined by the increased presence of those who wanted to live here could live here. As it is, rush hour traffic makes it very slow and difficult to traverse the city on the major roads. Fortunately, I know the side roads pretty well.

Anyway, good luck to Dont Discriminate, and hopefully in the future, she will make enough money to afford living in Newton without a Section 8 certificate.

[miu]

Originally Posted by LeavingMA

Nothing like squashing property rights.

True. And as someone who has and lives in a two-family house, I also have no desire to rent to anyone with children. And most with Section 8 housing have children. Many years ago, I rented to a divorced man whose two children visited him every other weekend. And when they were over, there was just a lot of random thumping noises upstairs from them playing. Of course, they needed to be able to play, but the noise was just play irritating. Renting to single working adults without children is my just preference, and fortunately my right since I have a two-family house.

[NEOhioBound]

Originally Posted by Dont discriminate

I am employed full time, I am a single parent, and I qualify for Section 8 because I make under $45,000. I have been looking for apartments for 2 months and cannot find anyone in Newton, MA (where I had been living) to rent me an apartment because I have a section 8 voucher.
I agree with the previous comments that home owners have a right to rent their unit to whoever they wish, however landlords should always obtain, references from previous landlords, employment verification etc. If
the individual who applied for the unit passes these verifications they should be allowed to rent the unit.
I have been advised to look at apartments in the city of Boston since Boston landlords seem to WANT section 8 vouchers (probably for the reasons mentioned above....charge over market rent etc.).
I dont believe I should be forced to live in an area NOT of my choice because I have a section 8 voucher. I am a extremely clean tenant, pay my rent on time, hardworking individual paying taxes, I treat my apartment as it was my own because thats where I am raising my daughter.
Due to the amount of time that has gone by not being able to find an apartment in Newton, MA , I have started looking in the surrounding towns, which has my daughter devasted about going to a different school and having to make new friends.
I advise landlords to continue to review applications and make a decision based on qualifications and not a voucher. A tenant who has a voucher is like a tenant who has a co-signer, section 8 will always have the rent deposited on time and with these economic times will also pay the full amount in any case of a lay-off.

Wait! What?!? You make 45K and qualify for Section 8 because you are a single parent? Not to bash your situation, but that is absurd! My husband took care of me and my son for almost 2yrs on just 50K

[goddessdc]

In the end the responsibility rests entirely on the landlord to screen ALL tenants be it a Section 8 Voucher Holder or a market rent paying tenant. It is completely a toss up when renting property anyway. We see it everyday tenants paying market rent being evicted given 30 day notices 10 day notices being sued for damages etc; I could go on but what would be the point. In this failing market and our government at odds some property owners are forced to rent as opposed to selling. I was just reading an article in NY Times yesterday discussing the fact that even the rich are affected by this poor economy when it comes to realestate and that there are some having to reduce their initial selling price at staggering 14%...even Aaron Spelling's widow attempted to ask for $165 million for her estate and settled for $85 million from the daughter of a billionaire. MY POINT the government has set up this program that assists the good tenants as well as the bad...but it is a solution to homelessness and living in less than up to standard housing...and this fact All of us should be proud of! When we say this country is failing us...actually some of us are failing this country! And don't dare give a blanket statement to Voucher Holders because not all of them are drug dealers, destroying property and not paying their rent! Some of them are single mothers attempting to raise their children in a nice safe neighborhood while they go to school Full time and work Full time! Like me! Maybe when I finish and become a Clinical Psychologist I will do a study on people who make up excuses for not accepting Section 8 when the truth is they are not willing to keep their properties up to Government Standards to comply with the program. In closing in this time of economic hardship at least some landlords that accept 8 participants can rest knowing that they will at least receive compensation for their property rather than putting up the FOR RENT sign for month after month and then get a non Voucher Holder only to find out that they too are suffering from this stagnant economy and having to issue a 10day notice...Good luck with that!

[JohnyDrew]

I still find it funny in a sad kind of way, that one of the posters here wanted to live nowhere but Newton, doing so with no means of her own. Why not Weston? I hear such good things about their after school program