Section 8 Housing popping up all over the place(thinking about walking away) (Phoenix: low income, rental)

[roundball]

How do you know if your neighborhood is being overrun with section 8 vs. homeowners charging $1500 for rent?

[ji603]

Guy paying $1500 a month market rent isn't home all day having 'friends' over. Moreover, since he's paying $1500 in rent, he has a job and no money for rims to put on his escalade.

'Friends' over 24/7
No job
Cadillac w/rims

= section 8

[Juram]

Originally Posted by ji603

Guy paying $1500 a month market rent isn't home all day having 'friends' over. Moreover, since he's paying $1500 in rent, he has a job and no money for rims to put on his escalade.

'Friends' over 24/7
No job
Cadillac w/rims

= section 8

Trash out in the front yard when virtually every other one is spotless, kids running around unattended at all hours of the night, more police presence in the past 6 months then in the past 6 years combined. Plus other neighbors have had discussions with owners that have rented out to Section 8's regarding behavior, loud music at all hours, the trash issue and more. There's some folks who are definitely renting out Section 8 who are pretty quiet, neat and friendly, so its not all bad but it isn't a coincidence that over the past year as the amount of homes being rented out to Section 8 has increased, so has police visits and crime in general.

[Goober13]

Just be patient. Keep paying your mortgage, and don't worry about the neighbors. Keep your credit clean and see how the market goes over the next few years. I would just live as you always have and not worry about other residents you have no control over.

[Juram]

Originally Posted by Goober13

Just be patient. Keep paying your mortgage, and don't worry about the neighbors. Keep your credit clean and see how the market goes over the next few years. I would just live as you always have and not worry about other residents you have no control over.

I don't really care about "the neighbors" or who may or may not be Section 8, my problem is that I don't simply feel safe in this neighborhood anymore. I've already seen two long-time neighbors head out due to the changes here, one of them after having their entire home get cleaned out, even their dog was taken.

[Maryolson929]

It's tough when bad people move into your neighborhood. We used to have a really good neighborhood but since this one family moved in - mom doesn't work, thought there were 3 kids, 2 older teen-age boy and 1 eight year old girl but her sister, also young, not usre of age, was recently returned to the mother. Since they moved in 'things' have disappeared from yards; an expensive bike for example, and one day, coming home from work I saw my lawn mower being wheeled down the street. I walked right down there and sure enough, it was in their yard. I grabbed it and one of the boys said, "Is that yours?" I said yes and he said his sister had brought it home.

I wish I'd called the police at that time but I didn't, jsut told them to stay out of my yard.

You have to watch everything and make sure nothing is in your yard at all or it will be gone. Makes me feel okayabout giving up the house (due to unemployment) as it is no longer a joy to live here. Just because of them.

[Goober13]

Have you considered adding an alarm if you don't already have one, and making sure everyone knows your home is not an easy mark to get ripped off. You can be burglarized anywhere. The more the vandals know you have taken precautions, the less likely you are to get ripped off. Do you have sensor lights in your yard? Are valuables locked in a garage or shed instead of visibly in the yard?

[phoenixscorpiogirl]

Originally Posted by Juram

I don't really care about "the neighbors" or who may or may not be Section 8, my problem is that I don't simply feel safe in this neighborhood anymore. I've already seen two long-time neighbors head out due to the changes here, one of them after having their entire home get cleaned out, even their dog was taken.

You say you don't care about who is on section 8 yet you are equating those who may be on it with the rise in crime in your neighborhood.
Are you certain that the people receiving section 8 are the causes behind the crime and not just a bad economy and poverty in general? And I hope you (along with others on here) realize not everyone receiving section 8 or similar help are committing crimes or "scamming the government".
Some of you remind me of a maintenance guy I used to have at a complex in Tucson. I received HUD hiousing help after being on a waiting list for about 6 months...so I basically paid a thrid of my 8 dollars an hour income to rent. Well, when I got my tax return I got a car...not a new one either but it was decent and much needed. TRhis idiot got all mad I found out he was talking about "people like me" being able to buy stuff while getting government assistance (low housing).
I didn't realize it was such a crime to be able to buy some things you need or even may just occasionally want -even if you get some assistance. Some people do work hard and should be able to have some nice things.
Or when some of you see people like that you should consider maybe they have the things they do b/c they bought them before....or maybe they were gifts!
It's not right to group everyone together as careless and irresponsible or criminals because they are poor.
I no longer live there and have been paying a LOT of money to rent for some time now. But even when I did receive help believe me, I would have much preferred to get child support from my kids loser dad that having to ask for assistance.

[Juram]

Originally Posted by phoenixscorpiogirl

You say you don't care about who is on section 8 yet you are equating those who may be on it with the rise in crime in your neighborhood.

The section-8'ers that were arrested for trying to peddle drugs near the local high-school and spraypainting fences at night, they're really just isolated incidents in a neighborhood that hasn't seen any arrests in years.

[ji603]

I'm with Juram on this. Don't spout the PC line that 'poverty causes crime.' If that were the case, sections of west virginian appalachia would be crime hot spots --- but they aren't. Big surprise.

The guy's lived in his neighborhood for years problem-free, and now with an influx of section 8'ers the crime rate increases. It's no surprise why to the realists out there.

Criminal behavior is caused by an entitlement mentality, fostered by generous public assistance which decreases respect for the private property of others.

The type of person who would see another poster's untended lawnmower and walk off with it for no other reason than that they could, and perhaps had a better-than-average chance of getting away sans punishment, isn't poor. He's a thief who hasn't worked for a living, has grown up with a different set of values than the rest of us, and who if called on the carpet about anti social behavior, would more likely than not see themselves as an unfairly accused victim...

Section 8 and mixed income living has destroyed more nice neighborhoods than it has improved poor ones. Sometimes if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. People forget that in this day and age.

Best of luck to OP