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Coco I should clarify your statement. The new affordable housing is a mix of lower, middle, and higher income...but the bulk is lower/working class. As part of the deal, they do allot some apts for formerly homeless, senior citizens, and some subsidized tenants because since they are publicly funded they must allocate certain slots to those segments of the population as well.
Sobro, I have a problem with what I bolded above. If the south Bronx or the Bronx in general wants to make a come back and do a complete 180, the BULK of the new housing being built should be catered to the MIDDLE CLASS (individuals earning 50K-80K a year) who tend to be more educated, respectful people who would NOT degrade the neighborhood/community. In fact they'll make it classier, something the Bronx desperately needs...some class, less hood!!!
In my opinion based on my experience being in the real estate field for over 15 years and dealing with these people, lower/working class folks' lifestyle, culture and behavior is NOT that much different than the full blown 100% subsidized person chillin' outside waiting for the mailman to drop off his SSI/Welfare check. It's a slight upgrade but nothing to bring the Bronx back.
The title "lower/working class" does not exclude them from being ghetto or having kids that are raised to be ghetto, thugs or gang members due to absentee parenting or overall poor parenting skills. And thats exactly the type of people the Bronx needs to AVOID catering to if the Bronx is to become desirable.
The lower/working class make JUST enough to make it by but still need the assistance of Section 8 to pay a portion of their rent hence the term "working section 8" tenants. "Working Section 8" tenants make up the BULK or I should say ARE the LOWER/WORKING class. The Bronx has enough of those peope. What the Bronx needs is REAL middle class folks (individuals earning 50K-80K a year) moving to the Bronx to change the tide.
Unless the City's plans are to initially rent to lower/working class people to gain public support for the construction project and then gradually push them out to make room for better quality MIDDLE class people (individuals earning 50K-80K a year), then I'm OK with that. If thats not the case then I really don't see the Bronx improving that much to the point that it is consider "desirable" and the stigma will remain until a HIGHER CLASS of people migrate to the Bronx.
Ashley while I understand why you believe this, the reality is money does not equal anything other than money. And by that I mean, I would rather have strict income, credit, criminal background, work history, etc with a working class tenant, than a middle class/higher wage tenant who did not go through that screening.
So although the bulk is working class, it does not mean it is ghetto, it means hardworking, responsible people who are the backbone of the city, who have made the right choices, done the right things, [passed very stringent screening, and are provided an opportunity for good housing. That is the kind of tenant that is good for every neighborhood, regardless of income. And that's what is being brought into these communities, and that is why the communities are improving.
So although in theory working class may seem like a problem, it really is a solution for alot of these communities, and the city overall. And with these residents moving in, the area is more desirable, because these people are more likely to be a good nieghbor, care about their building and care about their community as they have a vested interest to do so.
Ashley while I understand why you believe this, the reality is money does not equal anything other than money. And by that I mean, I would rather have strict income, credit, criminal background, work history, etc with a working class tenant, than a middle class/higher wage tenant who did not go through that screening.
So although the bulk is working class, it does not mean it is ghetto, it means hardworking, responsible people who are the backbone of the city, who have made the right choices, done the right things, [passed very stringent screening, and are provided an opportunity for good housing. That is the kind of tenant that is good for every neighborhood, regardless of income. And that's what is being brought into these communities, and that is why the communities are improving.
So although in theory working class may seem like a problem, it really is a solution for alot of these communities, and the city overall. And with these residents moving in, the area is more desirable, because these people are more likely to be a good nieghbor, care about their building and care about their community as they have a vested interest to do so.
Well I hope what you state is true about improving the community. But as far as the screening process goes, thats something that a landlord should do regardless of income level. If a landlord doesn't screen their tenants then you're asking for trouble.
Ok so I only read the comments on the first page and I have to say that I was highly irritated by what I read. First of all the Voucher is not for free rent. It is so that you have rent assistance and you do need to put in money from your pocket to make up the difference. The hardest part is getting places to accept the voucher since no one is forced to. Also the family shelters aren't cots in a room. They are mostly studio apartments with a ton of rules.
As with the $50 voucher that someone was speaking of...it is not section 8 housing assistance it is an old voucher that used to be given out in the shelter system and is no longer done.
Please stop jumping to conclusions because its not as simple as you all think. If you haven't been in our situation don't judge. There are guidelines to how much you can receive and how much of your income must go towards rent. You have to put in 30% or more of your income towards rent. The girl in this scenario is entitled to a 2bedroom. She has to pay the difference and if she's not trying to do so that's on her.
i dont know where some of you get your info from but its wrong. first, its not free...you have to pay 30% of your income and 49% the second year. next its $1070 not $1050. some of the apartments arent in the ghetto...they are in decent neiborhoods. no you cant find a 2 bedroom for $1070 but their are some decent 1 bedrooms avilable. so before you post...research!
"Advantage pays about $1,100 a month toward rent for no more than two years and requires at least one member of the family to work at least 20 hours a week. That compares with the $3,000 a month cost for housing a family in a shelter."
"Of the 7,272 families who left the program, about 51% ultimately wound up either obtaining other subsidized housing or reapplying for shelter. Of the 2,190 that reapplied, 1,461 were back in shelters as of January."
"All told, 20,000 families have participated in Advantage since it began in 2007. Some 13,000 are still in it, but Bloomberg plans to kill the program to help close the city's budget gap."
Ultimately, if you cannot/will not sustain yourself enough to pay $1,100 a month in rent, they know that the city will be responsible for them and end up paying for all of their bills either through another program or the city directly. There is little incentive to these people to actually sustain themselves because at the end of the day, the city legally must provide you housing, and the city has to find a way to pay for it if you can't.
You know I have read all your comments but what you don't understand is that advantage does't pay all your rent you pay 30% out of pocket thats why it is a work advantage voucher and as of monday they are cutting the program so for people like my self I can't even get an apartment under advantage at this time and I am a verteran
[FONT=Arial]I have found very little information on this NYC Work Advantage Program. I know it’s a limited source of aid for housing but I have heard of people going back to get another voucher after their 2 years are up. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial][/FONT] [FONT=Arial]How is the amount of the voucher determined?[/FONT] [FONT=Arial][/FONT] [FONT=Arial]I’m in need of info because my friend has a situation where she is in a shelter and was given one of these vouchers for about $1050 and told to find an apartment. The problem is that it’s a family of 3. An adult, 19 yr old and a new born. The only thing she can get with that is a 1bedroom & she does not want to sleep with her daughter and grandchild. She works but it’s against the program rules for any land lord to take other money other then the vouchers if they choose to rent to them. It’s not like section 8 where you pay a portion and they pay a portion I don’t think. If anyone can give me some insight on the program and if she has a chance at finding a 2 bedroom for that price please tell me where I should direct her to look. She has looked all over Brooklyn & Bronx. The program people even take her places but all the places they have taken her are ran down 1bedrooms that are too small for all of them to fit. She has never been in the situation before and understands that the shelter won’t really help her like they help everyone else because she is not on drugs. I think if her daughter was mature enough to be on her own they would help her daughter out more due to her being an uneducated baby mama.[/FONT]
i had the same problem. some landlord do take money on the side but you need to sign a note saying that you will pay the other amoung every month. look for houses
i had the same problem. some landlord do take money on the side but you need to sign a note saying that you will pay the other amoung every month. look for houses
had fixanvantage then after two years they said to change it to workadvatage i said to them hey if i loose my job then what dhs said then tak the 50 out your daughters ssi i said ok no move in my apt on augs1,2010 now is done
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The way it works
look what the hell ppl r to do
