Issue- Parkview Heights; What is Section 8?

My Introduction

Greetings Patch readers and thank you for checking out my blog. I am new to blogging and have fully intended to start for years now, so here I am finally and I hope you get something out of my topics.

Who I Am: My name is Joshua May. I am currently a Committeeman for the Chester County Republican Party representing Phoenixville Borough Middle ward, precinct 2. This does not mean that I do not reach out to those affiliated with other parties, those whom have spoken with me know I will listen to anyone with an issue; nor does it mean that just because you are not Republican you can’t call on me. I exist in this role as a vehicle of outreach in the county & borough. If for whatever reason you have an issue in the borough or county that you feel requires some form of escalation, please reach out to me, it is the mission I volunteered for and I would love to hear from you.  I can be reached via email at jmayinpville@outlook.com .  I was also recently appointed as an alternate member to the Phoenixville Borough Civil Service Commission by unanimous vote in Borough Council. This occurred on June 11th, 2013.

Why I am Blogging: I am not one to rant pointlessly about anything. I strongly believe that there are issues out there that affect each of us every day that most of us are grossly undereducated about. I also feel that that is the way our government officials, from both sides of the isle, want to keep it. The less we know, the more they get away with.  This has got to stop.  Now I do not see the kind of circus that is Washington D.C. happening locally for the most part. One thing I can say about Chester County and more specifically Phoenixville Borough is that there is a somewhat reliable system of communication, a very approachable bench on Borough Council, and a sense of community that allows this borough of close to 20,000 feel more like a small town than an up and coming center of culture and commerce. There are however issues that affect any growing metro, and those are the things I feel need to be broadcast.  When I blog from time to time, though it will include my personal take on the situation, my goal is to make sure that you have a personal take on the situation as well, even if we don’t agree.

So here is the first thing I am putting out there.  I hope it sheds some light.  Agree or disagree, just please keep talking about it and encourage the citizens in this community to stay informed of what is going on locally. It is what dictates the quality of life in our neighborhoods. My posts will be filled with details of my experience with these topics & I hope that I don’t bore anyone too much. But if I do you can just stop reading. I not only encourage comments, but will take your opinions to heart and under advisement. So please, let’s keep things cordial.

What is Section 8 and why should you care?

Section 8 is a government subsidized housing program designed to provide monetary assistance to low-income residents who would otherwise experience hardship in affording reasonable living accommodations.

There are various reasons someone would qualify for Section 8 housing. It is not strictly for the “voluntarily poor,” though this stigma tends to follow the program, there are legitimate reasons why someone may need this type of assistance.  This program exists for the disabled, the infirm, and the disadvantaged. I personally know someone, for whom I have much respect, with a disabled son. Over the course of about the last 30 years this family has received substantial amounts of assistance from the government in order to provide care for a child who otherwise would not be able to care for himself, and who’s need for around the clock care would require a family member to be present at all times, eliminating any kind of job opportunities, social engagements, or any other regular thing that most of us take for granted for at least one family member. This here is the kind of situation in which social services was created for. We as a community have evolved to the point where we are able to sustain a system that provides for those who are unable to provide for themselves. As a good citizen, I completely support this program & would lobby to ensure it remains intact for the sake of people like my friend.

I bring this up because Section 8 is designed to work much like the program that allows around the clock care to be provided for my friend’s son, with the majority of the expense being absorbed by the local, state, or federal tax base.  But FYI… Nothing’s perfect & It usually doesn’t work out that way if there is not strict oversight & enforcement in place.  

I grew up the child of a single mother, in beautiful Northeast Philadelphia of off the Delaware River in the Torresdale area. I spent most of those years living six blocks away from a notorious housing project called Lindenfield, which has since been demolished.  Lindenfield is a classic example of housing assistance gone wrong. It became an eye sore, crime riddled armpit of the neighborhood full of drug dealers & unsavory characters, making it unsafe to play at the playground, leave your bike unchained outside of the deli when you went in to get a root beer, or even walk up some parts of Torresdale or Frankford Avenues.  Things got so bad there that the Philadelphia police would hesitate to answer calls from within the campus and eventually the state intervened stopping new residents from moving in in the late 90’s. Then a few years ago after the last of the residents were relocated, they knocked it down.

As it turns out the disabled, the infirm, and the disadvantaged are not the only ones who benefit from Section 8 assistance.  Let’s not forget about a group of people that almost everyone has dealt with at one point or another… landlords.

Here is the process in a nutshell (please remember that I am not a professional, so if my explanation contains errors I welcome an email correcting me, but I should be pretty close):

·         A property owner  applies for Section 8 approval to participate in this public welfare housing program

·         The Housing Authority (or other responsible entity) performs inspections and reviews the property owner in order to render a decision.

·         At the time of approval fair market value is determined for the accommodations available and the price of rent is set. The price of rent must be consistent for both Section 8 recipients, and non-recipients dwelling on the property.

·         A potential resident applies to live on the property, through Section 8 assistance and is reviewed by the Department of Public Welfare (or other responsible entity).  At the time of application the family situation of the applicant is considered & they are approved.

How does the landlord benefit?

·         Anyone approved for Section 8 provisioning is required by law to allocate 30% of their income to cover the cost of housing. The rest is paid for with tax dollars.

·         This means that if someone approved for the program had an income of $1000.00 a month, their contribution to the monthly rent is $300.00, and the remainder is paid for by the government (your tax dollars.)

·         Let’s say the market value of the apartment is determined to be $1000.00 a month. This landlord is now guaranteed a secured $700.00 monthly check, coming from the government (again, your tax dollars), regardless of whether or not the tenant approved to live there pays a dime. Now since most rental property owners are in it to turn a profit, we can assume that the initial price of $1000.00 a month for rent has a little bit of padding calculated in there.

Multiply that formula by 80 or so units and what do you know. That is a pretty nice monthly guarantee on revenue for the landlord, even if the tenant never pays. This is why it makes sense for a landlord to get section 8 approved, and to not care what the impact of such a move will have on the surrounding community.

Why does this matter in Phoenixville?

Right now there is a proposal to break ground on a new, Section 8 approved development on the North Side, Across from Franklin Commons called Parkview Heights. The developers are pushing it through the Planning Commission calling it “Workforce Housing.” It turns out that the Planning Commission is recommending to Borough Council that they move forward with the project, approving Section 8 provisioning for senior citizens.

I have a few Questions:

Why do senior citizens need “Workforce Housing?” Are they still working?

If this be the case I am all for cutting the older, wiser members of our community a break on rent if their fixed income is creating a hardship for them. As a matter of fact, if there are any seniors out there who are struggling, get in touch with me. I am happy to get you in touch with the people who can help you get through the process of applying for assistance. I also know a few people in the private sector who are involved in not-for-profit organizations designed to help in just your situation.  My email is jmayinpville@outlook.com . Do not hesitate to reach out. I’ll even come to your house to talk.

The bottom line on this one is to call subsidized senior residential assistance “Workforce Housing” is ridiculous. It’s Section 8 plain & simple. Do you think we are idiots?

Who is going to enforce that this housing is for seniors?

As far as I know, there are clauses to these types of rental contracts that prohibit additional parties’ not on the lease from residing within the dwelling on a permanent basis. Who will enforce these clauses?

How do we stop Children, or grandchildren, nieces, or nephews of approved senior residents from moving in seeking a free ride from grandma or grandpa? This is where the problems start, the crime, the drugs. It’s not the seniors who partake in the illegal activity (most of the time) It’s those who move in to the home with them, whether the senior wants them there or not. Who I ask, will make sure this can’t happen?  Not the landlord. The landlord has to paint and fix every time a tenant moves out or is evicted .. Right now that landlord is guaranteed the majority of the rent through the government program, why would they want to move that resident out? Where is the motivation for the landlord to enforce these rules? Will it fall to the Borough? The County? The State? Housing Authority? Police? Sheriff?

And how do the residents feel? Did we not just spend the last 15 years cleaning up our little town in order to encourage growth? Kudos to our police department who seem to have a handle on drug trafficking & are ALWAYS on top of a certain trouble spot that exists in an alley off of Bridge Street that is the bane of weekend nightlife. Even if they get a little overzealous sometimes, does anyone remember what other places used to say about Phoenixville?  I think Chief Mossman his Officers are right on target with keeping us as clean & friendly as possible. Do we really want to task them with another potential hotspot? Anyone can look up what the impact is to any given community from the minute Section 8 becomes a reality. I tell you what, it’s not pretty.

So these are just my thoughts. I am not sure if I am for or against this project yet. What I do know is I want some more answers before I decide. I want real answers, I want areas of accountability, and I want to know who owns them. I want to know who is moving in there & who approved them to do so. Most of all I want TO KNOW THAT Phoenixville will continue the trend of healthy growth, and that all that we have accomplished as a community thus far has not been in vain.  

That’s it for now. If you made it this far thanks for the interest.  See you all at the next Borough Council.