Section 8 Housing Recipients Face Reduction in Voucher Value

This is a follow-up to several earlier posts about Section 8 Housing in Orange County. Read them first for background. 

On behalf of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Just Housing Coalition, my assistant and I just talked to a lawyer with Justice NC, who confirmed that the reduction in HUD funding due to the federal sequestration is going to result in lower voucher values for Section 8 recipients. 

For example, say someone now lives in an apartment that is $800/month, and pays $600 from out of pocket or from a Social Security check, and the landlord receives $200 from the federal Section 8 program each month, in the coming months, their Section 8 program check could be reduced to $100. Where's the other $100 going to come from for already low-income folks? Most likely, they'll be looking for a cheaper place, and, in this "Tsunami" environment, there is nothing to find in the affordable housing rental world in Orange County.  

This means that landlords all over know that they are going to be getting requests from Section 8 holders to accept less total rent. AND could be a factor in why GSC is kicking Section 8 voucher recipients out. 

Ellen