Brooklyn, NY – Observers of the housing scene watched with interest when a Manhattan judge upheld a new law this past week that makes it illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants who receive government Section 8 subsidies, (as was reported here by VIN News).
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Use of Section 8 vouchers by tenants went up 8.3 percent within the past year, according to Howard Marder, spokesperson for the city Housing Authority. There are now 92,423 Section 8 tenants in the city – an all-time high – with 33,500 of them in Brooklyn.
But the question remains – how popular is Section 8 with city landlords? Until the economic crash, many people believed that as housing values rose, some landlords wanted Section 8 tenants out of their apartments so they could rent them at the higher market rents.
According to Marder, the neighborhoods nowadays with the largest concentrations of Section 8 immigrants are Borough Park, Williamsburg, Flatbush, Brighton Beach, East New York, Stuyvesant Heights and others.
Mitchell Posilkin, general counsel of the Rent Stabilization Association, an organization of landlords who own buildings subject to rent regulations in New York City, said that many landlords value Section 8 because of its government guarantee of rents. Others, however, avoid the program because of its over-bureaucratic regulations.
“Some landlords,” he said, “have both Housing Authority-administered Section 8 and HPD [Housing Preservation and Development]-administered Section 8, so you have two sets of regulations, two groups of people to deal with.” He called dealing with Section 8 “labor-intensive” and “burdensome.”
Pat Singer, head of the Brighton Beach Neighborhood Association, said that since the aforementioned anti-discrimination law passed, things have been better for tenants seeking Section 8 apartments. Still, she said, although in the past, the government paid only part of Section 8 tenants’ rent, many landlords now want and expect the government to pay the entire check.
In addition, she said, many landlords are frustrated by the slow pace of the program’s bureaucracy. “One landlord updated his information with a new lease [which includes higher rents]. He’s now been waiting seven months for the increased payments ? Landlords accept the situation, but they’re not thrilled with it.”
From 1994 until 2007, the Housing Authority’s Section 8 lists were closed and no new vouchers were issued. The Housing Authority’s Web site says that now, it is only taking applications for vouchers from emergency cases.
How do you apply to be a emergency case?
stop section 8 nowwwww and rent will fall in bp and all over
Get evicted, or bring documents that the landlord wants to evict you because you cant pay rent. I know 6 people on my block that cant pay their rent.
we sshould all call and get this stupid programm stoped and maybe we will be able to afford a house in bp
According to Marder, the neighborhoods nowadays with the largest concentrations of Section 8 immigrants are Borough Park, Williamsburg, Flatbush, Brighton Beach, East New York, Stuyvesant Heights and others…………..
And in other words: The largest concentration of section 8 applicants are flatbush, boro park, queens, Staten Island, and wherever jews and blacks live. Duh.
The biggest scam is landlors charging on top of the section 8 they are recieving ON TIME and EVERY MONTH from the Governement.
WHy anyone would not want the section 8 ? As long as you have a good tenant and they keep the place clean and are nice people section 8 should be a good thing for the people that need it.
For the people that abuse the system and steal from the governement let them get caught and get reported on VIN and then go to jail!
I am a lanlord of section 8 tenants,this is the biggest mastake I did. They make you so much problems to get your money.its not worth it
What a busha that our communities are the biggest takers but what the hell by the time Obama is finished all of us are going to be on section 8
how do u report domestic violents?! u need proof for that one!
Here are the facts (reply to 11)
I’m a landlord in lower class area not in bp or flatbush.
#1 I’m not allowed to charge anything more than section 8 decides. Now they approve the apt. For 1400 they will give me about 1000 with huge huge kupvey. Just so you should under stand, they inspect every now and then and if let’s say paint is peeling or some othe small thing like this, first thing they do is suspend you payment. Its takes an average of 3-4 months to get the rent back and most of the time they will come up with some excuse not to pay back all the rent.but in the meantime you need to pay the mortgage
Another issue is you can’t evict a sec 8 tenant etc. So before you bash landlords, please understand why some charge more than normal for such apt.
And the main thing is people that receive money from the goverment (not all, but a lot) have a stinky attitude that we need to provide them with everything. This is also a lesson for those out there looking to buy realestate if they offer you a building with section 8 tenants, just stay away because it means a lot of sleepness nights
what I think is sick is that landlords in many places charge one amount of rent to those who pay rent regular and those who have section 8. I don’t know how many landlords tell me if I want them to take section 8 its $600-$700 more on top of the regular rent they would charge.Too bad these landlords are making it impossible for us to go without section 8 because they feel so many people have it (sec 8)they can go up with the rent.They feel you can afford the extra rent if you have assistance.have they ever thought that many people DO need it do the the crazy amounts they charge in the frum areas??The goyim don’t have expenses like we have.!!We don’t have our schools paid for by the govt.
How nice . Boro Park , williamsburg , midwood etc. Ah beesheh in a charpeh
My mother is 62 years old on disability and a cancer survivor, she has had section 8 for 26 years, she has lived in the same apartment for 28 years. Never ever owing her portion of the rent and has been an outstanding tenant. She now has 26 years worth of violations including leaks, falling ceilings, mold and no heat or hot water issues. she is afraid to complain about the violations because she says that the landlord can refuse to renew her section 8 and evict her. Can someone please tell me if this is fact or fiction. Can a 62 year old woman surviving breast cancer be evicted for fighting for her basic tenant rights?
Tenants Rights.
Alot of tenants do not know their rights. I you are living in a rent stabilize building the landlord cannot raise rent only the percent that is required after a 1 or 2 year lease. If you live in a building that is 6 families or more its rent stabilize. You can always check if the landlord can raise rent by checking the last tenant. you can go search in downtown brooklyn…. Just to let Landlord. not all tenant are bad and you are right not all section 8 tenants are bad tenants.
If they stop letting illegal immigrants into the country maybe some of us can get jobs and perhaps with a living wage can afford to pay our own rent without the help of the goverment