Section 8

 

I’ve seen enough of it over the years, nice neighborhoods devastated by Section 8 housing. It doesn’t take long, usually within a year or two, what was once a nice neighborhood turns into blight. The West End in Cincy has seen more than its share as this story tells.

 

 

Colerain officials say the increase in Section 8 housing has contributed to increased crime, more blight and lowered property values in neighborhoods already battered by the foreclosure crisis.

 

It's a burden not shared equally around the county. About 96 percent of all Section 8 properties in Hamilton County are west of Interstate 71. Trustee Bernie Fiedeldey questioned whether that pattern was some sort of "concerted effort" on the part of housing authority.[/Quote]

 

I've had to unfortunately deal with it myself. Years ago the house next to me was sold to a guy that decided to rent it out. After a few years he decided to go Section 8, which was the beginning of about 5 hellish years for us and the neighborhood. Thank God the guy that owned the house decided to sell it and it was bought by someone that decided to live there themselves.

 

Thoughts?

A good friend of mine had two neighbors on the block who were elderly widows. When they died, their heirs sold the houses to an individual who has a lot of rental property. The guy is a small-time slumlord who rents to the first person who walks up to him with a dollar in their hand. Both properties have basically been trashed, and the landlord couldn't care less what kind of crap the neighborhood has to put up with. One house had drugs, and the other had someone who turned out to be a bank robber. This kind of thing happens all over the place, but unless you're willing to buy up everything around you, what can you really do?

Is this similar to rent control?

run to the suburbs, run to suburbs

That would be the worst thing you could do, because that's where they're all being placed. Let me tell you a little story:

 

One day, in the not-so-distant past, the big bad government decided to tear down all of the housing projects and scatter the inhabitants throughout the community. These low-income people, both good and bad, relocated in suburban neighborhoods all over the area. And none of us lived happily ever after.

 

I'm not saying that all (or even "most") low-income people are untrustworthy, apathetic, trouble-making, slackers. But a higher than average incidence of this type of personality can be found among the group. And these are the type of people that are finding their way into what were once nice, quiet suburbs, populated by life-long residents who cared about their neighborhood...and their neighbors.

 

Many of these people are short term renters, and couldn't care less about their home or the people around them. They also bring all of the social ills of the urban poor. Our crime rates go up and property values go down. I've witnessed this very phenomenon happen right here on my own street.

 

We've got a growing number of Section 8 properties in this area. Too often, they're owned by absentee "slum lords" whose only concern is making a buck. And too often, the type of neighbor they give you is not the kind that you would welcome into your home.

 

Now before you paint me as a heartless monster, understand that I don't see all low-income people this way. And it's not about class, or race, or age. It cuts across all types of people. It's not about what they are; it's about who they are as people, and how they treat others.

Joke if you like, but let some of these dregs move in next to you and see how happy you'll be when your property value tanks out. Won't be so funny then.

 

Section 8 must be taking over the country because it seems like property values are going down everywhere:sssh:

Section 8 must be taking over the country because it seems like property values are going down everywhere:sssh:

:lol: Now, that's funny!

:lol: Now, that's funny!

 

I'm glad you laughed; it was meant to be funny. I really expected a Republican beat down after making that post!:lol:

We've got a growing number of Section 8 properties in this area. Too often, they're owned by absentee "slum lords" whose only concern is making a buck. And too often, the type of neighbor they give you is not the kind that you would welcome into your home.

I'd love to win a huge lottery so I could buy the houses on each side of some of these "slum lords" and give them to the worst slime balls I can find so they can get a taste of what they do to other neighborhoods. Let them deal with it a while.

I'm glad you laughed; it was meant to be funny. I really expected a Republican beat down after making that post!:lol:

:lol: I like a good sense of humor. :thumb:

I'm glad you laughed; it was meant to be funny. I really expected a Republican beat down after making that post!:lol:

He'll get to that later.

He'll get to that later.

 

We've now exchanged pleasantries, but I'm still clutching my chair!:thumb:

We've now exchanged pleasantries, but I'm still clutching my chair!:thumb:

It's good to not get too comfortable.

What's the answer?

What's the answer?

To what?

To what?

 

Well, they've gotta live somewhere. If not in your back yard, then where?