The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Beach landlords are about to get a refresher course on housing discrimination.
Between 200 and 300 invited guests, including officials with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, are expected to attend the city's first fair-housing training conference for landlords Wednesday at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
The conference is designed for landlords who accept Section 8 vouchers - federal rental subsidies for low-income residents. More than 1,900 residents in the city are receiving Section 8 assistance, and at least as many or more remain on a waiting list.
The idea for a conference grew from a housing violation complaint filed by HUD last year against a Virginia Beach landlord, said Andrew Friedman, the city's director of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation.
Federal housing officials charged John Crockett Henry with violating the Fair Housing Act, the policy that prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of homes based on race, color, disability, national origin, religion, sex and familial status.
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.
The U.S. Justice Department has since taken up the case, filing a lawsuit against Henry. A jury trial is scheduled for May.
As a result of the case, the city was told to ensure that all Beach landlords know and understand federal housing laws, Friedman said. The conference also will offer networking opportunities, he said.
"We can expand our relationships with landlords," he said, "and hopefully promote partnerships for future rental housing and more opportunities for affordable rental housing."
Largely due to a slump in the housing market, more property owners have applied for the Section 8 program in recent months, said Perry Clay, the Beach's rental housing administrator.
Nearly 635 landlords currently accept the federal subsidies. Another 160 property owners were recently approved for the program, he said. In Virginia Beach, Section 8 vouchers, on average, amount to $569.
At Wednesday's conference, attendees will participate in roundtable sessions, including discussions on penalties and enforcement of federal housing laws and ways to recognize discrimination, harassment and unfair treatment.
"I've heard of a lady who was turned down for housing even though she had the money, but she wasn't earning employment income," Clay said. "If you're going to rent, you can't discriminate."
Staff writer Duane Bourne contributed to this report.
Susan E. White, (757) 222-5114, susan.white@pilotonline.com
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section 8
Question..do you think reason section 8 have fancy stuff ,,they have people paying them rent to live with them..even if sleeping on air mattress.Just asking..
THE JOB - URINE TEST
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!
Line 5 of the article says...
"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
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.
Everybody on Section 8 Aint Poor
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%.
Section 8 - Why Work - Live the good life.
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!
Section 8 abuse
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.
tj...
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.
Responsibility
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.
In response to Ira Tateu
"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.