Section 8 Vouchers in Short Supply, Pittsburgh Authorities Say

Federal funding formulas are forcing the Pittsburgh Housing Authority to gradually reduce the number of Section 8 rent vouchers it offers.

[Old Cynic]

Finally, there's hope for the neighborhoods yet. Killing the whole concept would be better. Nothing screws up a decent neighborhood like section 8 housing.

[LadyeHawke]

Thank you, Old Cynic. There is a section 8 community just a hop, skip, and a jump away from my house. It's not that old -- maybe 20 yrs. It's run-down and trashy looking. Another one, Carnegie Towers, is in the news far too often. Too many social agencies exist to keep people down rather than helping them to change for the better.

[fan of all]

LadyeHawke wrote:

Thank you, Old Cynic. There is a section 8 community just a hop, skip, and a jump away from my house. It's not that old -- maybe 20 yrs. It's run-down and trashy looking. Another one, Carnegie Towers, is in the news far too often. Too many social agencies exist to keep people down rather than helping them to change for the better.

Hey my friends! How have you both been doing? SEE?! I toldja I check in to the old home area on a frequent basis!

Section 8 was a good idea thats gone bad. Where I was from in Indiana County, the poverty rate - at the last census I read on line - was 20%. In the township I lived in, I wager that most of the residents live at or well below the poverty line.

Trouble is; some of these people feel they are entitled to help like section 8 and food coupons.....you get the idea.

Since my disability, it makes me kinda sad to get a monthly disability check. If I was able to work, I'd be making 4 times that much a month.

In far too many places back in Western PA, there are few jobs with a decent living wage and benefits.

The best job I could get in Indiana County was a $5.15 per hr desk clerk at a small motel - 12 hours a week!

The very first job I got out here paid me over $15 an hour and I worked as much as 65 hours a week! And no silly state taxes - I was in paycheck hog heaven.

I don't believe the section 8 thing will improve until better paying jobs come to the area.

You guys take care and its good to see you again!

[LadyeHawke]

fan of all wrote:

<quoted text>
Hey my friends! How have you both been doing? SEE?! I toldja I check in to the old home area on a frequent basis!
Section 8 was a good idea thats gone bad. Where I was from in Indiana County, the poverty rate - at the last census I read on line - was 20%. In the township I lived in, I wager that most of the residents live at or well below the poverty line.
Trouble is; some of these people feel they are entitled to help like section 8 and food coupons.....you get the idea.
Since my disability, it makes me kinda sad to get a monthly disability check. If I was able to work, I'd be making 4 times that much a month.
In far too many places back in Western PA, there are few jobs with a decent living wage and benefits.
The best job I could get in Indiana County was a $5.15 per hr desk clerk at a small motel - 12 hours a week!
The very first job I got out here paid me over $15 an hour and I worked as much as 65 hours a week! And no silly state taxes - I was in paycheck hog heaven.
I don't believe the section 8 thing will improve until better paying jobs come to the area.
You guys take care and its good to see you again!

FanOfAll, how are you? Thank you for sharing some of your experiences. I really do appreciate it as I enjoy learning :) My mom-in-law's surgery was this past Tuesday (breast cancer surgery. She's doing remarkably well...Thank You blessed Lord!). Until she is fully able to take care of herself, for two weeks she's staying here. Then, my oldest dau & her family will move w/ her for the next six weeks during radiation treatments. My children have been making meals, taking care of her cat, shoveling her driveway & sidewalks, etc. A dear friend is cleaning her house from top to bottom (we're paying her). We take care of our own :) Topix is helping to keep me occupied as I won't leave Mom alone. That detail needs some tweaking. That's okay because we love her.

[fan of all]

LadyeHawke wrote:

<quoted text>FanOfAll, how are you? Thank you for sharing some of your experiences. I really do appreciate it as I enjoy learning :) My mom-in-law's surgery was this past Tuesday (breast cancer surgery. She's doing remarkably well...Thank You blessed Lord!). Until she is fully able to take care of herself, for two weeks she's staying here. Then, my oldest dau & her family will move w/ her for the next six weeks during radiation treatments. My children have been making meals, taking care of her cat, shoveling her driveway & sidewalks, etc. A dear friend is cleaning her house from top to bottom (we're paying her). We take care of our own :) Topix is helping to keep me occupied as I won't leave Mom alone. That detail needs some tweaking. That's okay because we love her.

As I was writing this post last night, I had on my mind about mom in law. I sure hop that everything will be OK for her.

Sounds as if you have a lot of helping hands! GREAT! Its wonderful having a support group in times like that.

While I was in a coma - and not knowing what was going on - my husband also had a great support group of family and friends. You can't put a price tag on support like that

[LadyeHawke]

I so agree : )

[what]

you cant even spell hope is not hop

[fan of all]

what wrote:

you cant even spell hope is not hop

Thank you for pointing out my error.

Have a good day:-)

[LadyeHawke]

fan of all wrote:

<quoted text>
Thank you for pointing out my error.
Have a good day:-)

Hi, fan of all. How are you? My mom-in-law is doing quite well. She's upset, though, that her energy level is not up to speed yet since her surgery in January. Mom celebrated her 94th b'day by having cataract surgery. Now, she's better able to see her great grandchildren .. as well as the rest of the family.

[mitochon]

would you rather have them running the streets picking your pockets or robbing your cars ? Section 8 is a social bandaid for people with low IQ's who simply can't make it legitimately in the real world and stand on there own two feet . There has to be alternatives to chaos

[mitochon]

I say if parents can't take on the responsibility then perhaps they should consider alternatives to children A high percentage of black fathers do not participate in the rearing of there children . They often endear and abandon them leaving only there tarnished seeds of worthlessness behind . How many stories have you heard in your lifetime ? It's sad!!

[LadyeHawke]

mitochon wrote:

would you rather have them running the streets picking your pockets or robbing your cars ? Section 8 is a social bandaid for people with low IQ's who simply can't make it legitimately in the real world and stand on there own two feet . There has to be alternatives to chaos

Thank you, mitochon, for your two comments. I agree that alternatives to chaos are necessary. Along w/ the social bandaid, though, ought to be responsibility. Everyone who is capable of learning can be taught things such as proper hiegene, maintaining property, etc. These things, as well as others, are modeled at home. People have to want to change, though. My experience has been that only a few are willing to do the necessary work required to change (ex: 12 Step programs; counseling).

[RutNasty]

Probably isn't a shortage of vouchers, more like a shortage of apartments and houses left to section 8, whats next they going to section 8 the uss steel building?

[Neighbor 22]

mitochon wrote:

would you rather have them running the streets picking your pockets or robbing your cars ? Section 8 is a social bandaid for people with low IQ's who simply can't make it legitimately in the real world and stand on there own two feet . There has to be alternatives to chaos

Fine, just remember that Section 8 allows people to choose homes in any community they want- anywhere a section 8 landlord owns a building. So, since you are in favor of this, I'm sure you could suggest a few buildings in your neighborhood? After a few years of lowered property values, higher crime rates and general mayhem, see whose side you are on then!

[LadyeHawke]

Neighbor 22 wrote:

<quoted text>
Fine, just remember that Section 8 allows people to choose homes in any community they want- anywhere a section 8 landlord owns a building. So, since you are in favor of this, I'm sure you could suggest a few buildings in your neighborhood? After a few years of lowered property values, higher crime rates and general mayhem, see whose side you are on then!

Thank you for your comments, Neighbor 22. What I have observed from some who reside in Section 8 housing is an attitude of entitlement. That is quite troublesome. I practice treating people the way that I'd like to be treated. The same with material possessions. I acquired this attitude from those who treated me with respect even when I certainly didn't deserve it. So, this "you owe me" attitude ... sorry, I don't accept it. My husband and I are watching our neighborhood change; and, I'm sorry to say, not for the better. Those who champion Section 8 housing... please, encourage your neighborhood to accept it. Then, after the area declines, let's talk. Maybe, then, we can discuss changes that take place inside of people, changes that really matter. Superficial changes just don't last.

[Neighbor 22]

Well, that's just one problem I have with it too! I've actually done a lot of research on this subject...long story short, my great-grandparents used to live in Ohio View Acres and one day I heard they were being "torn down." Of course even though they were "the projects" I felt sad! They were replaced by brand-new mixed income housing a few years back. On one recent visit (just to check it out) some of the "new houses" had already been vandalized- with boarded up windows! How horrible is that?

The program that was used to rebuilt them was called "HOPE VI." It's designed to "rethink" public housing. My gg-parents lived there only a few years before they were demolished because they were considered "uninhabitable." Really, they weren't that bad.

So, nationwide, we are now ripping down the projects, because they are not "nice enough." It's FREE HOUSING. And if you make it REALLY NICE...no one will ever leave! Also, how fair is that to people (like me) who DO the right thing, go to college, earn money, fix our credit and struggle to buy a house? Why just turn around and "give" a brand-new house to someone else?

When the "projects" were built back in the 1940s to 1960s they were never designed to be permanent. And the families who moved in came from tenaments that were deplorable, so most were thrilled with the new accomodations!

So what does this have to do with Section 8 housing? HOPE VI does not offer a "one to one" replacement for each unit it demolishes. On average, about 25% of the occupants return to the new site. New sites screen pretty thouroughly too, so you know what that means. Everyone who can't make the cut is sent off...to Section 8!

Section 8 not only fails the neighborhoods that are being influxed with people who don't have any respect, it actually fails the mission of HOPE VI. Part of the effort to "destroy" the projects was to get rid of these dense concentrations of minorities/poor people, and to "scatter" them. Problem is, a lot of them end up relocating to...densely populated minority neighborhoods filled with poverty! So, basically, we are moving the problem- and paying to do so!

Not too ironic that many of the "projects" we are tearing down for the "benefit" of the residents are located in prime real estate markets (i.e. gentrification- move em out and put up condos!)

Anyway, back to the other problem- people moving into neighborhoods en masse who just don't care- about themselves, their children, the condition of their apartment, etc. They are now bringing drugs, violence and a general apathy to neighborhoods that used to be nice. There go home values right out the window, too. It's really unfair.

People used to work their whole life to have a nice house in an area like Bellevue or some of the city neighborhoods like Brighton Heights or Brookline, but now the same people can't sit out on their porch because of the crime. It's a shame.

[Khadijah]

to lady hawke and old cinc, first of all not all people on section 8 are the same. ive come from a really good home two parent family hard working parents who never relied on welfare etc.. i myself was on section 8 years ago while working everyday at a major hospital ,paying my bills on time keeping my rental property nice and clean and staying to myself. I never in a million years thought i would be on section 8 program basically this program was a huge help for me.I feel everyone deserves a chance with anything in life. alot of people tend to put these programs and people down until they end up in the situation where they need goverment help. Witheout these programs where do you think people would live while working and not able to afford a decient place to live?

[Old Cynic]

Khadijah wrote:

to lady hawke and old cinc, first of all not all people on section 8 are the same. ive come from a really good home two parent family hard working parents who never relied on welfare etc.. i myself was on section 8 years ago while working everyday at a major hospital ,paying my bills on time keeping my rental property nice and clean and staying to myself. I never in a million years thought i would be on section 8 program basically this program was a huge help for me.I feel everyone deserves a chance with anything in life. alot of people tend to put these programs and people down until they end up in the situation where they need goverment help. Witheout these programs where do you think people would live while working and not able to afford a decient place to live?

Howdy
And I too have a one or two neighbors that keep their places sorta' nice, but most of the homes and apts that went section 8 are dumps.

It's one thing to have to live in a place for a while as you get on your feet, but I'm hard pressed to know why they can't use trash cans? Why can't they sweep a sidewalk or shovel it off in the winter? Why do soiled diapers end up in a pile on the porch? Why can't the grass be cut? Why can't the rats and mice be dealt with? Why can't the fast food cups and wrappers be put into a trash can? Why can't they park on the street instead of the sidewalk? How can they afford a car anyhow? Why is it necessary to destroy the place that you live in and disrespect the hand that feeds you? Why can't they just be neighbors instead of attacking the old time neighbors "cause they be white"? Why are the police constantly called to settle one issue or another? Why is their language so offensive? Why are they so uncivilized? Why aren't they in school when it's in session? Why can't the realize that their "boom boxes" have volume controls? Why are their gunshots most every night? Why are things constantly being stolen? Why do they trash a place and move to another just to do the same again?

No, my friend, there's something wrong. There's a strange regression to this behavior and it's getting worse. These folks are returning to their origins and just cannot live in civilized society.

[LuvMyKitties]

I agree with Khadijah and Old cynic. I was on food stamps in college cuz I was making NO money. Without them, i'd probably be so unhealthy cuz Id be living off ramen and crap food. I'm very fortunate for the program, but I was so embarrassed to have had to depend on it. But, don't get me wrong- grateful. Section 8 is awesome for people who need a boost- there's nothing wrong with needed a helping hand every once in a while. It's those that procreate just to get on welfare and live their whole lives on welfare, and dupe the system that I have a problem with. Like, for example, hiding income so they can stay on it is a problem. I know people that seriously deserve it but can't get on it because of the people that abuse it. That's wrong. People that live in the projects dress better than I do, and have better cars yet I make 30-35k a year, wtf?

[LadyeHawke]

Khadijah wrote:

to lady hawke and old cinc, first of all not all people on section 8 are the same. ive come from a really good home two parent family hard working parents who never relied on welfare etc.. i myself was on section 8 years ago while working everyday at a major hospital ,paying my bills on time keeping my rental property nice and clean and staying to myself. I never in a million years thought i would be on section 8 program basically this program was a huge help for me.I feel everyone deserves a chance with anything in life. alot of people tend to put these programs and people down until they end up in the situation where they need goverment help. Witheout these programs where do you think people would live while working and not able to afford a decient place to live?

Thank you for sharing, Khadijah, some of your life experiences. It sounds to me that, due to how you were raised, you chose to put what you learned into practice. I grew up in a violent, abusive family. I chose to change; I needed help also. God, counseling, self-help meetings have been a blessing. It's a choice, K, as to what we want to do with our lives. I recognized that I needed to change; I asked for help. I'm grateful that I did.