Where to live with housing voucher (San Francisco, Sacramento: section 8, apartments, rental)

[mjaynes288]

I have a section 8 voucher in Oregon. Due to health issues I need to move closer to family in Concord. I know Berkeley and Alameda County Housing Authorities are absorbing ports but the payment standards look incredibly low. Does anyone have any suggestions for where to move in the Bay Area with a Housing Choice Voucher? Would Contra Costa or Sonoma Counties be good places to go? I do not want to lose my voucher because I could not find any open units that accept vouchers.

[artemis78]

You might do better in Contra Costa than in Alameda, but the payment standards are too low across the board for the current market, IMO. It's going to be tough finding a unit anywhere in those areas. Add to that the fact that HUD, in its infinite wisdom, is proposing to decrease FMRs for both counties based on their analysis that rents in the East Bay decreased this year (?!?!) All of the housing agencies are challenging this so hopefully it won't come to pass, but if it does, it will make an already challenging situation even worse.

How close to Concord do you need to be? Maybe consider Solano County, if you can port in there. Rents are lower and housing is in less demand than it is as you get closer to SF, so if you don't actually need to commute to SF, it could be a better option. Many of the cities here (Pittsburg, Vallejo, Richmond, Oakland, Berkeley) have their own housing authorities, too, so you could explore what their payment standards are relative to rents and whether they're accepting ports right now.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I just got my voucher last March, so I'm no expert. But, I thought your rent would be based on your income, so your rent shouldn't really change, even if the rents are higher in CA than you're used to in OR.

Your best bet is to get lists of subsidized housing complexes/buildings that you qualify to move into, from the housing authorities for each city and county you might be interested in. Then call them all and ask if their waiting lists are open and get on them. Keep moving farther out, if necessary, to find some with shorter wait lists.

Finding private landlords that take vouchers is nearly impossible there. And I agree, that you should hold onto that voucher like it's the holy grail - because it is.

In case you haven't already seen it, here's the city of Concord HA website, and there's a place with an open waitlist right in Concord that accepts Section 8:

http://www.edenhousing.org/property/virginia-lane

This page has several options and links if you scroll down:

http://www.cityofconcord.org/page.asp?pid=1003

Good luck to you.

[artemis78]

What the recipient pays is based on income, but what the housing authority pays the landlord is the payment standard for each housing agency. These are set by each agency based in part on what HUD determines the Fair Market Rent (FMR) of a unit in that region is. The agency makes up the difference between that amount and what the housing choice voucher recipient can afford. The issue is that in Alameda County, the payment standard right now is $1358 for a 1BR and $1718 for a 2BR. There are very few places in the county where you can still find a landlord willing to rent a unit for that amount. You want to look for a region where the payment standard is not too far off of market rents to increase the chances that a landlord will be willing to accept the voucher. Agreed that subsidized complexes may be the way to go, too--there are very few private landlords interested in taking vouchers right now, because with the current market, they don't have to. Good luck, OP!

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by artemis78

What the recipient pays is based on income, but what the housing authority pays the landlord is the payment standard for each housing agency. These are set by each agency based in part on what HUD determines the Fair Market Rent (FMR) of a unit in that region is. The agency makes up the difference between that amount and what the housing choice voucher recipient can afford. The issue is that in Alameda County, the payment standard right now is $1358 for a 1BR and $1718 for a 2BR. There are very few places in the county where you can still find a landlord willing to rent a unit for that amount. You want to look for a region where the payment standard is not too far off of market rents to increase the chances that a landlord will be willing to accept the voucher. Agreed that subsidized complexes may be the way to go, too--there are very few private landlords interested in taking vouchers right now, because with the current market, they don't have to. Good luck, OP!

The rent for the link I provided for the subsidized 1 bedroom in Concord is $763.

It's not hard to find a studio or one-bedroom apartment in Concord for under $1358. Finding a private landlord to accept Section 8 is the problem. But finding an apartment at that price is definitely not a problem.

[Ultrarunner]

I agree... at one time I predominantly managed Section 8 units and as voucher holders ported out the units went to open market.

The area most popular for those I know are Hayward, Pittsburg, Antioch, Vallejo and Tracy

Remember the payment standard deducts for tenant paid utilities... so the actual unit rent is bound to be less...

I found it to be even less as many were single family... so deducting water, electric, gas, garbage, etc plus the utility allowance/take away is greater for single family because it is assumed the square footage is larger and usage will be more.

[mjaynes288]

I need to move in a few months. Affordable housing waiting lists if they are open are usually years long. After I port I have 60 days to find a place. Looking at Contra Costa I have found 2 listings of 1 bedrooms that would accept section 8. One was in the middle of the refineries in Martinez (I have asthma) and the other was less than 400 square feet in Brentwood. I have found the Contra Costa HA difficult to communicate with. I cannot get an answer on whether they are absorbing vouchers. I think I would rather go farther out.

I have no interest in going into San Francisco. I prefer to live in a sleepy small to medium sized city within an hour and a half of Concord when traffic is light. I prefer rural 2 lane roads to superhighways. I included Sonoma County in my first post because I used to go up to there for dog training.

I don't know much about Solano County. My mother suggested Fairfield. Sacramento has come up due to the train to Martinez.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I think you'll learn quickly that you can't be that picky. Is it just you? Why can't you live in a studio that's less than 400 square feet? I live in subsidized senior housing in a studio that is 115 square feet. Obviously I can't entertain, but it's amazing how little you really need. I have a full kitchen in here, a twin bed, a big chair, desk, dresser and separate piece of furniture that is a pantry/cupboard. I have a full bathroom with tub/shower. I could use a bigger closet, but it works for me and my dog.

If you can't get through to the HA, try asking the property managers. They seem to know how everything works.

[mjaynes288]

Property managers are not going to know whether the housing authority is absorbing or billing. That is all internal politics. My current housing authority had the lowest payment standard in the state of Oregon the last time I checked. They are unlikely to let me port to a HA that is billing a payment standard double theirs.

I would not object to a 300 square foot apartment out of hand. I object to the very limited options. When I was looking for my current apartment I looked at over 15 apartments that accepted vouchers. Each apartment had its downside. Size was the least of my worries. Chain smokers, roaches, and mold do not go well with my asthma. I have mobility issues and there were some unique designs. One apartment you almost had to climb over the sink to get to the toilet. My current apartment is in a flood plain and has clearly been flooded before. The water pressure is low and the hot water is extremely hot making showering an adventure. I pay my heating bill and I can see daylight around my door. If I did not need to move closer to my parents I would stay here because it is in the right neighborhood walking distance to almost everything.

I am making a list of things I need in an apartment and things that would be nice. The things I need are a functional bathroom layout, clean air, a grocery store within 1.5 miles, sidewalks, and a neighborhood where I feel safe walking my service dog in the dark. I would like an apartment big enough to fit my computer desk, recliner, sofa, long twin or full size bed, and a 42 inch dog crate. All that only matters after I decide what HA I am going to port to.

[tikkasf]

Originally Posted by mjaynes288

I need to move in a few months. Affordable housing waiting lists if they are open are usually years long. After I port I have 60 days to find a place. Looking at Contra Costa I have found 2 listings of 1 bedrooms that would accept section 8. One was in the middle of the refineries in Martinez (I have asthma) and the other was less than 400 square feet in Brentwood. I have found the Contra Costa HA difficult to communicate with. I cannot get an answer on whether they are absorbing vouchers. I think I would rather go farther out.

I have no interest in going into San Francisco. I prefer to live in a sleepy small to medium sized city within an hour and a half of Concord when traffic is light. I prefer rural 2 lane roads to superhighways. I included Sonoma County in my first post because I used to go up to there for dog training.

I don't know much about Solano County. My mother suggested Fairfield. Sacramento has come up due to the train to Martinez.

Given what I highlighted in red in your above post, that time travel to Concord requirement should give you the option of looking in areas that are considered outside the Bay Area.....and thereby may be easier to find a participating landlord.

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