Street roots
3
Feb. 1, 2013
Tackling Section 8
in Salem
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BY JAKE THOMAS
S T A F F W R IT E R
For more information and
coverage on Section 8 and
Oregon housing policy, go
to www.news.streetroots.org
TL T
I ^1
-L 1
o Section 8.”
It’s just one line at the end
of a Craigslist or newspaper
ad, but these three words can prevent some
of Oregon’s poorest and most vulnerable
people from obtaining much-needed
housing.
Now a politician who has long had this
issue in her sights occupies one of the most
powerful positions in the state and is
seeking to use her influence to change how
a large federal housing program operates in
Oregon.
Tina Kotek, the recently sworn in
speaker of the Oregon House, has
introduced legislation intended to remove a
big impediment sometimes faced by
individuals with Housing Choice vouchers.
Often referred to as “Section 8,” these
vouchers are a federal subsidy aimed at
helping poor, elderly or disabled individuals
afford decent housing.
But people who hold these vouchers can
have a difficult time getting them accepted
because Oregon law allows landlords to
refuse them. As a result, some voucher
holders lose their chance to get subsidized
housing after spending, long periods,
S is te rs Of The Road
c r e a t in g
c r e a t in g
c o m m u n it y ,
change, to g e th e r
sometimes years on a waiting list because
no landlord will accept them.
The Housing Choice program was
established by the Housing Act of 1937. The
program is administered by local housing
authorities and provides a subsidy to
participating households to help them make
rent. In Portland, the vouchers are
administered by Home Forward, the
housing agency for Multnomah County.
According to Home Forward
spokesperson Shelley Marchesi, in order for
someone to be eligible for a voucher they
must have an income of 50 percent or less
of the median family income for a household
their size. Home Forward assists over 8,400
households throughout Multnomah County
and contributes over $50 million in rents
annually. When Home Forward opened up
its waiting list for Housing Choice vouchers
in November for 10 days, according to
Marchesi, it received 21,000 applications.
“So, you can see the demand far, far
outstrips our ability to tap the supply for
folks on the waiting list,” wrote Marchesi in
an email to Street Roots.
Despite clear demand for the program
and a guaranteed source of income,
landlords have been reluctant to participate,
which can cause problems for voucher
SISTERS
OF THE
ROAD
holders.
According to Marchesi, Home Forward
gives Housing Choice voucher holders an
initial 60 days to find a landlord who will
accept them. If their search is unsuccessful,
voucher holders can get another 60-day
extension. If a voucher holder has a
disability or is facing an extreme situation,
they can get another 60 days. After that,
they lose their voucher.
According to numbers from Home
Forward covering a period from January
through September of last year, it took the
average voucher holder about 50 days to
sign a lease. During that time, the agency
issued 496 vouchers. Seventy-four of them
expired, making for an expiration rate of 15
percent.
Housing Commissioner Nick Fish said
that he began looking at this issue in 2008
shortly after being elected, even though
Home Forward is operated independently
from him. According to Fish, at the time
only 75 percent of voucher holders were
able to find landlords that would accept
them.
“When vouchers aren’t used, that’s
money that’s not going into the community,”
said Fish, who added
that the elderly,
See SECTION 8, page 4
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