Joel lays out three barriers that create the difficulty in accessing Section 8 vouchers, and I couldn't agree more with him, but think he left out some very important information in his frustration with the program in general. There is some truth to his title statement that the barriers to subsidized housing cause homelessness, but it's much deeper than Joel takes it and I think it does the program more harm than good to leave out the details. In Joel's defense however, I don't think he was looking to write a dissertation here but instead was venting some real frustration and angst with the process involved in obtaining subsidized housing.
There are indeed some significant problems with Section 8, not the least of which is the prolonged wait time for a voucher that can extend for 4 years or more in many cities. That's if you can actually get your name on the waiting list. Nashville is not alone in the "closed" sign on the application window, either; most cities stop taking applications when a certain level of people queued for a voucher is reached and those windows can remain closed for indefinite periods of time before the window opens "for a minute" again.
But I posit here that the problem isn't with the wait time, it's with the supply of section 8 vouchers- or lack thereof - which creates the wait in the first place. It ain't rocket science to understand that increasing the supply reduces the wait time, but as we've seen over the years, our government's priority is clearly not on helping the homeless, struggling and poor among us, because if it was, we'd not be having this discussion at all.
That folks are left languishing on the streets or trying to couch-surf their way through the wait is not lost upon me, either. I recognize the dilemma it puts people into; and even if a few lucky folks manage to overcome the myriad other barriers associated with abject poverty and obtain enough income (SSDI/SSI, employment, etc) that they could afford to rent a place, they're hesitant since they could end up locked into a lease when the voucher hits, and violating a lease agreement could cause serious problems for the person on the credit report when they go through the process of obtaining the new digs under the voucher's parameters.
Which brings us to the discussion of eligibility requirements, and this is an area fraught with difficulties and challenges for everyone. But the truth here is that it's become this problem because we've failed to address the systemic issues prevalent in our communities that creates conditions ripe for people to turn to a life of crime, alcohol and drug abuse in order to cope, survive and get by.
This of course gets to the heart of some real "Poverty Insights" and whether we as a national community want to invest in the future of our country through job training, affordable housing & education, increasing the minimum wage, and providing employment opportunities paying livable - not minimum - wages for anyone who wants a job. Toss in the novel idea of transferring funds from law enforcement's utter failure that is the war on drugs into drug treatment, which we know via reams - mountains - of evidence is far, far, FAR more effective in ending addiction than criminal intervention, and I'd wager we'd see poverty on the decline.
I recognize the frustration Joel feels as he butts his head over and over on the titanium wall of bureaucracy. I get it because I've faced these battles over and over again for both myself and literally hundreds of others, as well. I know it's a pain in the ass to try and round up IDs, Social Security cards, the dreaded birth certificate, and then be turned down for housing because of multiple convictions for trespassing and public intoxication, obtained when I had nowhere to go at night but the bus bench and tried via alcohol and dope to numb the agony of another cold night alone on the street and the feelings of utter hopelessness and despair that sat there with me.
But I think Joel's frustration is misplaced, and I think too that many of those who do obtain a Section 8, VASH, or Shelter Plus Care voucher consider themselves fortunate and are happy indeed, even with the hoops they must jump through in order to seal the deal. Yeah, it's a hassle to go through it all, but the reward at the end is worth it to many. And frankly, it's not a whole lot different from you or me trying to rent a place, either. We've got to show ID, we've got to have a credit check, and I don't know about you, but I'd like to know if my new neighbor next door is a convicted sex offender, a murderer, a rapist, or a robber.
Thanks in part to today's litigious society, landlords see a chance that they may be held liable for allowing "bad" people to rent one of their units and background checks have become a damned near essential C.Y.A. activity, like it or not. While I agree that we need to provide assistance to those who find the paperwork challenging, I do not believe we should create a second set of rules for a particular subset of the population, nor should we allow people to circumvent the rules because of their status. To me, that simply reinforces the idea in the minds of those who receive this kind of treatment that they are somehow second-class, incompetent, and incapable of doing what "normal" folks can do.
Rather, we need to fix the rules to make them easier to understand and follow for everyone. We need to ensure those who find the process difficult are paired with case managers who can empower them to work through the process, and stand with them every step of the way until they complete it.
We need to ensure that those who have been denied public housing because of previous behavior,credit issues and/or criminal convictions are given additional chances for access (because how can we ever expect someone to rehabilitate and change their lives if, after they've been run through the judicial mill or have recovered from the ravages of drugs and alcohol and are discharged back into society, they cannot obtain the most basic of human rights, housing?)
to its credit, HUD has listened to our complaints about this process and Joel, I can just about promise you that you will soon see some new rules. Trust me, I can't say much more about it yet, but it's coming, and not a moment too soon, either.
This entire discussion, along with the root of Joel's - and countless other advocates -frustrations again goes back to the whole idea of national priorities and what we as a society are willing to invest in the citizenry of this country. Ending homelessness could become priority number one and the resources necessary to accomplish this could be made available pretty quickly. But ending homelessness isn't going to come without a price tag. With that said however, I can assure you we're already spending billions of dollars annually on the costs managing homelessness incurs upon our communities. The only way to end homelessness is to provide housing, and in my mind, the fight needs to be both about making new affordable supportive housing options available and increasing the access to established routes to housing already in place. This could be accomplished fairly quickly simply by relaxing/removing barriers and providing the economic assistance via the number of vouchers necessary to meet the needs of those who cannot afford monthly rent rates without having to then make a choice about whether they will pay the light bill or eat this month. And there are plenty of folks out there in that boat, just ask anyone you know who receives Social Security disability, retirement, or Supplemental Security incomes...
Barriers to Subsidized Housing Cause Homelessness
TThey came straggling into the conference room, situated in one of the homeless centers I oversee. You would think they would be excited, hopeful, maybe even exuberant.
Half a dozen case workers sat at the table with them going through preliminary paperwork to help them access Section 8 vouchers, subsidized rental assistance from the federal government.
The wait for these coveted housing vouchers can be multiple years, since jurisdictions around the country have only a limited supply in comparison to the thousands of people in need of housing.
These people walking in were homeless, and they literally looked defeated with eyes peering down, feet shuffling, and indifferent facial expressions. The hard years on the streets took a toll on them, defeating any sense of hope.
They did not look like eager concert goers waiting in line in hopes of landing a coveted ticket to their favorite pop singer. Instead, these homeless people were in line thinking this might be the last chance they ever have to secure permanent house.
By the end of the day, eleven people were lucky enough to appear ready to apply for housing. Of the eleven, seven people were disabled homeless seniors.
We looked at these so-called “lucky” applicants, homeless seniors who should be enjoying their golden years rather than struggling to figure out how to find housing.
Were they lucky? Maybe because they are now on the path to accessing a Section 8 housing voucher, but in reality they should not be struggling on the streets. Besides, they had just taken the first of many confusing steps in the application process.
Application Barriers
Gaining a highly demanded housing voucher means overcoming three very difficult barriers.
The first barrier is time. The application process is time consuming and long. It could take months to go through the process.
They don’t set you up in a hotel or an apartment so you can wait for your application to be approved. Instead, you’re still on the streets hiding from harm and in search of food with no idea if your application was accepted.
A laundry list of strict rules is the second barrier. You have to fit every category in order to be approved. Each local public housing authority (PHA) develops its own list. In some local jurisdictions, it means that if you struggle with alcoholism and drugs, you don’t make the cut.
If you committed some sort of crime, you’re out. You also need your driver’s license, social security card, a personal budget. You have to apply for other public benefits, like food stamps. Some Public Housing Authorities’ (PHA) ask for credit reports.
Finally, perfection is king. Any errors on an application result in failure. Going to the end of the line probably means a lifetime of homelessness. A personal interview can also be mandated, so a wrong answer could be disastrous. Checking an incorrect box or using the wrong word could also end your quest for housing.
Bureaucratic Nightmare
Subsidized housing is such a bureaucratic nightmare for people living on the streets who should have the right to be housed. How does a hurting, struggling homeless person overcome these barriers and navigate a dizzying system of rules and procedures by themselves?
No wonder homelessness persists in this country. You practically need to be a Certified Public Accountant to follow the rules in a game of subsidized housing that is designed to turn people away, not embrace the neediest.
I can’t imagine how a chronically homeless person who has been languishing on the streets for multiple years and struggling with some sort of disability has any chance of overcoming the barriers of subsidized housing.
