Does anyone know a website that shows which apartments are Section 8? (Portland: middle-class, transplants)

[malachai23]

Hi all, I'm still preparing for my move back to the Portland area. Does anyone know if there is a website that shows all Section 8/income restricted apartments in the Portland area? I want to instantly separate the two categories of complexes (income-restricted and not income-restricted) so I know which to research further and which to not consider at all. I keep spinning my wheels on complexes that do not fit my bill. I have no qualms with Section 8/income restricted renters, but I am not Section 8 and fall far, far from the income restricted limits! I keep picking out all the ads and apartment websites with the dreaded income-restricted fine-print at the bottom. It seems like a lot of the newer nicer complexes in my price range are income-restricted. Grrrrr!! Thanks all!!

[philwithbeard]

Not sure what you are asking, but this is just my opinion on what I think you are asking....

No, I don't know of such a web site specifically as you described. I presume you know of the Housing Authority of Portland web site....
Welcome to the Housing Authority of Portland, Oregon and the link to Housing Options.

I moved to Portland last August. Managed apartment complexes will, as a rule in Portland, require a minimum income, and a minimum ratio of income to apartment rent. They can be picky, because of supply / demand curve for such apartment complex housing allows them to be picky, again my opinion. And so many seem to have been burned by making exceptions to their policy. However, there are lots of people on Craigslist who have rented a large apartment (or small house) and advertise for a roommate to share. There are other temp housing solutions in Portland (less than a few months) area.

The further from the desirable "hip" neighborhoods, or further from "frequent service" bus lines, the more likely the rent cost and the screening process will be lower. But some of these small to medium apartment buildings with lower renter screening don't have web sites, nor advertise other than just a sign our front stating Now Renting. This is a Portland thing I presume.

Trust me, it is a normal catch-22 type of thing: You cannot get a place to live without a job, and employers want your local address before they hire you. If, and only if, you have the cash reserves to meet a high move in cost, deposit, plus advance rental payments can you find an apartment complex willing to rent to you with out meeting their renter's income standards. (First month, Last month, Move out cleaning, refundable Security Deposit, criminal background check, and so on could add up to over $1500.00 needed to sign the rental contract.)

I hope I addressed some of your questions...

Now, if you wish to talk about renting an apartment in a divided up old house in North Portland, well, that's another thread. Slum landlords are similar in almost every city I have lived in.

Phil

[malachai23]

Thanks, Phil. Really, what I was looking for was some sort of database where one could type in the name of an apartment complex and find out if it is Section 8/Income restricted or not. I guess such a site really doesn't exist - I've looked and looked and given up.

I'm not actually concerned about "minimum income". I'm concerned about "maximum income"!! The places I keep finding that interest me and are in my price range always turn out to be "income restricted", with "income limits", which means that they couldn't rent to me because I make too much!! That, alas, is *my* personal Portland Catch-22... can't afford the nice ones without restrictions, earn too much to qualify for the ones that do. <sigh>

I actually have the deposits and all that upfront jive taken care of, and the job thing taken care of as well - it's sitting there all lonely just waiting for me to get my tushie out there! Now if only my house would sell.... but at least that has given me some time to do some serious research on the Portland rental market, which has changed a LOT since I used to live there. Yes, craigslist is wonderful and I have used it for rentals in the past. But this time around with a long-distance move and all, it might be a little tricky to find something from craigslist. The timing would need to be perfect.

[TechmanOR]

I don't know WHY Portland came up with the idea to provide income capped subsidized housing in desirable areas that could fetch much more income. I'm a believer that beggers can't be chosers. I don't think that the government should have any role in creating such a burden and invite more and more low-income people to the city center while rejecting transplants with means to pay

[Green Irish Eyes]

This site used to be a fairly comprehensive listing of Section 8 properties but the number of listings has dropped considerably since the last time I looked at it (5? years ago) Also, unfortunately, you can't search by apartment complex. You can also try affordable housing source and housing connections.

[John Shaft]

Originally Posted by malachai23

I'm not actually concerned about "minimum income". I'm concerned about "maximum income"!! The places I keep finding that interest me and are in my price range always turn out to be "income restricted", with "income limits", which means that they couldn't rent to me because I make too much!! That, alas, is *my* personal Portland Catch-22... can't afford the nice ones without restrictions, earn too much to qualify for the ones that do. <sigh>

I hear your pain. When we moved here 4 years ago, we toyed with living in the Pearl. Until we discovered we were too middle-class. We couldn't afford half of them, and we were too "rich" to be allowed to live in the other half. That put a bit of a sour taste in my mouth regarding so-called urban planning even before we actually moved to PDX.

[TechmanOR]

That's basically the way it is in liberal Portland. If you're rich, you can afford whatever. If you're really poor, then everyone else will pay for you. Anything in between? Go pound sand, because we don't care.

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by John Shaft

I hear your pain. When we moved here 4 years ago, we toyed with living in the Pearl. Until we discovered we were too middle-class. We couldn't afford half of them, and we were too "rich" to be allowed to live in the other half. That put a bit of a sour taste in my mouth regarding so-called urban planning even before we actually moved to PDX.

Ah, John, I disagree....

There are such housing, but the turn-over is very low. People who do live in the type of housing you were in the market for, stay there. From what I was told, there are neighborhoods with very little renter shifting around. The only housing on the market in these highly desirable neighborhoods are the income restricted housing and the very rich.

I pass along what I was told: find a place that rents Month-to-Month. Keep you nose to the listings, and a place where you want may appear in the listings someday. Plus, once you have lived in Portland a year or two, what you consider your dream apartment location, may in fact change.

Phil

[cool_a_25]

Originally Posted by malachai23

Hi all, I'm still preparing for my move back to the Portland area. Does anyone know if there is a website that shows all Section 8/income restricted apartments in the Portland area? I want to instantly separate the two categories of complexes (income-restricted and not income-restricted) so I know which to research further and which to not consider at all. I keep spinning my wheels on complexes that do not fit my bill. I have no qualms with Section 8/income restricted renters, but I am not Section 8 and fall far, far from the income restricted limits! I keep picking out all the ads and apartment websites with the dreaded income-restricted fine-print at the bottom. It seems like a lot of the newer nicer complexes in my price range are income-restricted. Grrrrr!! Thanks all!!

Hi Phil if you are looking for places that take section 8 hud voucher here's a website that will help you in your search: Housing Connections