Just some clarifications and comments concerning Section 8 issues and vouchers.
Under the program, Section 8 pays what is called a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) directly to the landlord. The HAP is the difference between what the tenant pays and the lesser of 1. the actual rent or 2. the established Fair Market Rent (known as "FMR"). A section 8 tenant pays rent in the amount of 30% of the tenant's houshold income. So, as an example, a landlord charges $1,000 for an apartment and the tenants' household income is $1,000 per month. The tenant pays $300 to the landlord for rent, and Section 8 pays the remaining $700.00 to the landlord. The Fair Market Rent is essentially a ceiling on rent a landlord can charge to a Section 8 tenant. FMR levels are established annually by HUD. In Minneapolis-St. Paul, the fair market rent for a 1 bedroom is $713, a 2 bedroom $912, a 3 bedroom $1,233 and a 4 bedroom $1,397. These are in line with average rents in the City. Utility costs typically also factor in to the allowable overall rent that can be charged. Charging side payments or under the table payments to a section 8 tenant is illegal (e.g., you pay your $300 share, plus a $100 side payment, and I'll let you have the place cuz I'm also getting $700 from MPHA). Steve Meldahl implies or directly states that Section 8 tenants cause more damage than other non-subsidized tenants, based on his anecdotal stories. Other than those anecdotal stories (which I have very serious reasons to doubt) there are no factual bases for concluding that section 8 tenants are any different than other low-income tenants, or tenants in general. While Mr. Meldahl states that Section 8 tenants are "judgment-proof," the possibility of losing a voucher subsidy is a significant penalty for a family and one that most families take very seriously, so there are certainly consequences for a tenant who excessively damages property or fails to live up to the tenant's end of the bargain. And thanks for Mr. Cullen, who spoke up as a landlord who has positive experiences renting to folks with Section 8 vouchers. Gregory Luce St. Paul TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
