Landlords to get reminders of rules for renting units

THE JOB - URINE TEST I HAVE TO PASS A URINE TEST FOR MY JOB.... Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check or house subsidy because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their ASS, doing nothing or drugs, or having more children out of wed lock, or owning things I would have to scrimp and save years for..while I work and get taxed 4 months of pay a year to have them live off of my back. . . . Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check? . . . Something has to change in this country -- and soon!

"The conference is designed for landlords who accept Section 8 vouchers - federal rental subsidies for low-income residents."

Zuluafrican - all the comments have been predominantly about section 8 housing issues...why are you trying to race bait? The article gave an example of incidents of discrimination as the impetus for the conference...but the conference is for landlords who accept Section 8 vouchers.

The flip side to section 8 is that in a real estate market that is crashing the only way out for some owner is putting their houses up for rent under section 8 at least they know it is a guaranteed check every month to cover the mortgage even if they themselves have to move into an apartment. I know people in northern virginia living in $400,000 town houses on section 8 paying $700.00 a month for rent with hud paying the difference to the owner. No ones complaining in NOrthern VA the owners are happy the renters are sitting in the lap of luxury with out paying the price.

Wake up everybody, most of the people on section 8 are not poor. You can be on section 8 as long as you are able to pay at least 30% of the rent that is being stated by the owner. Believe it or not there are people living in section 8 housing that make $75,000 a year. Its all about having the ability to pay the other 30%.

As a contractor I do a lot of work in Section 8 homes. What burns me the most about Section 8 people is seeing a BMW or luxury vehicle in the driveway, 50" plasma TV, a Bose stereo system surrounded by a leather sectional couch in the house. I guess if I could milk the system and only have to pay a portion of my mortgage I could afford all those nice items. I'm not jealous but irritated that I am forced by high taxes to support that lifestyle while I work long hours and live within my means. Unless you are disabled or elderly why do you need to stay on assistance forever? If you continue to have more kids, then I should be able to use their SSAN's and claim them as dependants. Heck I support them with my taxes! Give assistance to those who really need it and cut off the abusers. The system is broke and we need to fix it!

People who use section 8 to pay for rent need to either report true income and how many people work in their home. I as a single mom w/2 kids did not qualify for section 8 a couple of years ago when I tried to apply. I was told that if i sell my car I can qualify. Why would I have to sell my car to qualify for something that I only needed help with for 2-6 months. So I just decided to live in a motel until I could find someone to that could rent to me and thank God I did. I had a good job and am very responsible but Landlords are quick to judge a single mom. But I kept looking and finally found someone that understood and rented to me. Social services always say children should have a stable home, but they turned me down for housing. How sad is that. Anyway, Landlord do need to re-educate on their business just like some of us do in our field of career.

What the heck does music have to do with racism in housing? I'm just asking ...Maybe you should try Malcom Venable blog for that one.

I can agree on the need for a section-8 program to look after the elderly and other special case situations. From what I've seen there folks on section-8 perfectly able to go out and work and should be cutoff after a certain probationary time.

Also "landlords" or property owners willing to rent, are putting themselves in a great deal of risk and have the reasonable right to ensure the folks they take a chance on first and foremost will pay their due monthly, and secondly the reasonable expectation the property will be sustained as is or even better condition by the renter/s. Also i agree the owner needs to be reponsible and timely with repairs and other reasonable maintnenance and upkeep items.

Owners should be able to ascertain qualified renters by not only having money for deposit, but show the ability to make payments on a monthly basis or otherwise the cumbersome route of eviction has to be taken. Absolutely not by race or creed, but definitely by ability to pay. After all that's why the residences are put up for rent to begin with.

"The HUD charges were based on complaints from five tenants at Henry's 30-unit apartment complex off 15-1/2 Street. The residents accused the landlord of using a racial slur when referring to black children and setting a quiet-time curfew for black tenants but not for white tenants, among other things."

That would be line 19 of the article FYI.

I said no where in my comment that all section 8 people are minority. If I did,you need to show me where. I get tired of some people trying to make my comments say what they want them to say instead of what I actually said.
So what should I assume about your comments? I don't get it. I have rented properties to all kinds of people good and bad, black,white and in between and guess what? At the end of the day, none are better than the other. Seems to me alot of times when they have article such as this one it always seems to target one "group" as if they are the only group who use these services or are in that position.

I agree there shouldn't be rules for one race. I also agree if you have the rent money no matter what the source as long as it's legal and it's a "Paycheck" from the city or job it should be good. BUT i also agree that people shouldn't be able to be on assistance forever. My mom divorced my father when i was 3yrs old. There were three of us (3, 4 and 5yrs old) My mother had never worked a day in her life. But when they separated and he failed to pay child support she had to put a roof over our head and food in our mouth. It had to be done in a legal way and it had to be done by only one person and it was my mom. She took care of business. She worked 2 and 3 jobs. We hardly saw her but not seeing mom and eating might be the best way to go when you look at the alternative. Her whole paycheck when to childcare and rent and the tips from her job went to food. We had no cable, we had no games, we had hand me down clothes, all of us kids shared a room. That's just how it was. We learned alot from it. We learned you work for what you have, you don't have something unless you earn it. That goes for everything in life. (Food, toys, respect) When these people are on assistance these people s

i have a friend mf mine who won't even consider renting to section 8 residents-"They'd steal the paint off the walls if they thought they could sell it" he told me once. He also told me of another "family" who stole lightswitch covers, lighting fixtures, carpets and even doors!

Section 8 rental "assistance" is actually a substitute for public housing projects-why should the government build these properties and deal with all the headaches and later, clean up all the damage left behind when for a little cash, they can just drop that problem into your neighborhood and call it "diversity".

I wonder how many section 8 residents live near Mr. Friedman, our City Manager or members of City Council??

I came from a family of 10. Had 1 bath room, 3 bedrooms and we all survived to become hardworking law abiding citizens. We compromised on many things in life in our younger years but never knew this for our parents always had food on the table and we always were grateful for our hand me downs donated or given to us by our older siblings. Never did my parents ever think about food stamps or housing assistance. My father worked 12 hour midnight shifts for years, to purchase our home. We were a one income family. I am amazed that anyone can and would stay on section 8 or welfare for so many years as I see and hear about.. Such abuse is indeed incredible. Are you to good to wash cars, clean houses, mow lawns that you want to live off MY hard earned tax dollars forever with your live in multiple boyfriends/girlfriends and pro create and multiply indescriminantly on my dime? I think not. 1 year is long enough for anyone to be subsidized in living expeses to get on thier feet in my opinion. Too many are on these programs way too long. There needs to be a time limit to help others needing assistance also.

Kudos to Virginia Beach for finally addressing a group of people who need to be reigned in... landlords. However, they shouldn't just stop at Section 8... all landlords should be re-educated about the proper care of tenants, repairs, property, etc. And ALL Hampton Roads cities should be engaged in this. Norfolk has a wealth of landlords, many of whom are only concerned about the dollar signs and could care less about the people who provide that money. In addition, cities should focus more on building codes and forcing landlords to put some of that money back into their rental properties and make them something that they and the city can be proud of.

I have never received a dime from public assistance, I have paid taxes for the government to give to the ones that have. My first house payment 28 years ago was $380. My husband and I had to do without a lot and certainly knew we were not capable of supporting five kids, so we did not have kids until we could make ends meet. I have two kids now and my house payment is now $900. Our income is not high, but we live WITHIN our means. We could do a lot better if we didn't have to pay taxes that are given away to people that want to have five kids with no means of supporting them. Or people that are too irresponsible to hold a job or make a payment. I think it's time to start cutting back on give away programs but it seems the government keeps coming up with more. The worst part about it now is the attitude of entitlement that people seem to have developed.

We rented for over ten years, a family of five living off one income. We paid up to 750+ per month, it wasnt easy but we did well. But I always made sure my home looked nice, it was MY HOME-I may not of owned it but I took pride in where I lived. I hate how some say renters are bad, its not true for all. People need to keep an open mind, and try to understand that some people just cant afford to own, but can be good neighbors. We now own, and I see owners not keeping up with their home. It's all about the person in the home-not if they own/rent. I hope those who need homes can be able to rent, and if they dont take care, then keep track and then you have reason to kick them out-but give people a chance.

I live in an area where there are quite a few section 8 homes and apartments...and more rental properties than home owners would like to see. Renters don't have a vested interest in the neighborhood and they don't (for the most part) work to improve the look of the home. Why should they? It's not "theirs"? Section 8 are even worse. If you can't afford to pay market rent, there are a lot of other things you can't afford...and unfortunately it shows in the way the house looks. I would like to see expansion of homeownership programs that are set up in such a way to encourage people to improve themselves, their earning potential, and have a pathway to homeownership.

Where exactly does this article say that anyone has discriminated? It says one person was 'accused' but that is about it. Are you saying that all of the section 8 people are a minority? Section 8 should not exist in the first place. As for the lady who had money but no income, many people would turn her down. People want responsible working people in their units because they take care of them better. I had a prospective tenant offer me three years payments in advance. I offered him an application which he did not want to fill out. I told him I would consider him along with the others. He kept offering me the money to not have to qualify. He never returned it. I wonder why? Money is not the most important of qualifications!

it's that it's not as prevalent. in fact, it's much worse among people of their own race than outside the race. don't believe me? listen to the music.

Where are all the people saying there is no racism?