Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It seems to me that the article is poorly written and mistitled. Not certain if one can even use the information from that piece to arrive at an accurate conclusion.
Quote:
Currently, tenants generally pay 30 percent of their adjusted income toward rent or a the public housing agency minimum rent not to exceed $50. The administration's legislative proposal sets the family monthly rent contribution at 35 percent of their gross income or 35 percent of their earnings by working 15 hours a week at the federal minimum wage - or approximately $150 a month, three times higher than the current minimum.
To go from having to pay 30% to 35% of one's income is not tripling that percentage. Isn't it rather increasing the amount by 5%?
Let's say a person's income is $1,000. 30% of that is $300, so 35% would be $350. That's 16.6% increase, not 5%.
Of course you're right!
But as to the original article, it certainly isn't tripling it, right? You can probably see that I'm not proficient in the maths. But the article just seemed so off.
Considering that low income families who do NOT receive subsidies are often paying half their income in rent, I would agree with this increase.
If you're on disability (and nowadays, you'd be amazed how many able-bodied people are - and we know, because they're always offering to do physical labor, like painting apartments for us, for pay under the table), you're receiving a minimum of $770/month from Social Security. You're getting food stamps for food. You're getting free medical care via Medicaid. So paying $150/month for rent of that $770 is not outrageous. $620/month pocket money still seems pretty generous to me.
If you're able-bodied, you should be working. So paying 35% of your income for rent when other low income people have to pay much, much more than that, seems reasonable.
As for the tripling issue, it's that they're proposing tripling the minimum payment from $50/month to $150/month.
Considering that low income families who do NOT receive subsidies are often paying half their income in rent, I would agree with this increase.
If you're on disability (and nowadays, you'd be amazed how many able-bodied people are - and we know, because they're always offering to do physical labor, like painting apartments for us, for pay under the table), you're receiving a minimum of $770/month from Social Security. You're getting food stamps for food. You're getting free medical care via Medicaid. So paying $150/month for rent of that $770 is not outrageous. $620/month pocket money still seems pretty generous to me.
If you're able-bodied, you should be working. So paying 35% of your income for rent when other low income people have to pay much, much more than that, seems reasonable.
As for the tripling issue, it's that they're proposing tripling the minimum payment from $50/month to $150/month.
If you are paying $150 a month for rent you are not getting food stamps unless you have other dependents such as a spouse or kids. If you are single and get say $1k a month on disability or Social Security retirement (an even number easy to divide) you would have to pay $300 for rent which is the 30% I think it now is for Section 8, Then you would have $700 a month for all your other expenses and food stamp has some kind of rule that after rent or utilities if you have about 30% of your income left that must be used for food and you would not qualify for food stamps.
and that $620 a month pocket money that you think is generous has to go to pay their heat, electricity, hot water, food (because like I said before if it's a single person they would not qualify for food stamps) household items like cleaning supplies, toilet paper and other household items that even food stamps does not allow. Any over the counter medicine. Car maintenance and repairs and car insurance, any medicine copays, gas for the car plus any debt they have which most likely they owe money on credit cards since that might be what they are living on, clothing, cable TV or internet or smartphone etc. If you can pay all that and eat and live on $150 a week and you think it's easy street it's not.
So some people do cheat the system with side jobs off the books or lie about their expenses to get full housing and food stamps, but the ones that don't do not have it easy by any means.
If you are paying $150 a month for rent you are not getting food stamps unless you have other dependents such as a spouse or kids. If you are single and get say $1k a month on disability or Social Security retirement (an even number easy to divide) you would have to pay $300 for rent which is the 30% I think it now is for Section 8, Then you would have $700 a month for all your other expenses and food stamp has some kind of rule that after rent or utilities if you have about 30% of your income left that must be used for food and you would not qualify for food stamps.
and that $620 a month pocket money that you think is generous has to go to pay their heat, electricity, hot water, food (because like I said before if it's a single person they would not qualify for food stamps) household items like cleaning supplies, toilet paper and other household items that even food stamps does not allow. Any over the counter medicine. Car maintenance and repairs and car insurance, any medicine copays, gas for the car plus any debt they have which most likely they owe money on credit cards since that might be what they are living on, clothing, cable TV or internet or smartphone etc. If you can pay all that and eat and live on $150 a week and you think it's easy street it's not.
So some people do cheat the system with side jobs off the books or lie about their expenses to get full housing and food stamps, but the ones that don't do not have it easy by any means.
Funny, I always thought of a car as a tremendous luxury that was something one EARNED, not an entitlement.
Ask anyone who lives in a poor area what the atmosphere is like in the neighborhood on the days right after the government checks come. Party, Party, Party!!!! Liquor, drugs, and takeout food in abundance. I guess that's with what's left over after all those other things you mentioned above are paid for.
Funny, I always thought of a car as a tremendous luxury that was something one EARNED, not an entitlement.
Ask anyone who lives in a poor area what the atmosphere is like in the neighborhood on the days right after the government checks come. Party, Party, Party!!!! Liquor, drugs, and takeout food in abundance. I guess that's with what's left over after all those other things you mentioned above are paid for.
A car is not a luxury, it's a necessity in 95% of this vast nation. It doesn't have to be a new or expensive one but most people rely on a car to get around.
I never lived in a poor area, but I have driven thru them and never saw any parties when government checks came, I think that's something you made up in your head. I'm hoping an attitude like that is more ignorance than bigotry.
In many areas, it is just as Parentologist states. Section 8 was meant to be a temporary “helping hand” for people who had fallen on hard times. For many, it’s now a way of life...past down from one generation to the next. My taxes are over $15,000.00 a year with most of that money going to entitlement programs. I am fed up with working my arse off to support those who REFUSE to work and for the single mothers with 8 kids by 8 different men. It’s disgusting and sad, but it IS a fact.
In many areas, it is just as Parentologist states. Section 8 was meant to be a temporary “helping hand” for people who had fallen on hard times. For many, it’s now a way of life...past down from one generation to the next. My taxes are over $15,000.00 a year with most of that money going to entitlement programs. I am fed up with working my arse off to support those who REFUSE to work and for the single mothers with 8 kids by 8 different men. It’s disgusting and sad, but it IS a fact.
It's passed down not past down.
Section 8 and other entitlement programs are Federal and do not come from local programs.
Your taxes pay for expensive school and police unions where people may only have to put in 20 years to get a great retirement package. Some of those are the true entitlement programs same as city government with their lazy workers who do nothing or next to nothing for a big salary. In in south Florida but i had some work done on my house and some are too lazy to get out of their truck to check what they are supposed to inside a home and just arrive so the GPS shows they were there, sit outside and mark the work completed and passed. Those are the true welfare queens. You are blaming the wrong people out of ignorance and prejudice, and yes some of those are bad, and some of those programs you blast are put in place so when you or a family member have a catastrophic injury or illness it's there to help them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
