Section 8 -- Low Income Housing in Nice Neighborhoods

There is a lot of government assistance for individuals and families that can not afford proper housing.  I do not agree with the current regulations and rules of Section 8 or Low Income housing in upscale neighborhoods. I have not studied this policy in detail so most of my example comes from my observation. 

My belief is that families can apply for Section 8 or Low Income housing to give their children an opportunity to excel in a better school district.  I grew up very poor and my parents worked hard on their own to send me to good schools and raise me in good neighborhoods without any government assistance.  It would have been nice if my parents didn't have to work as hard to provide for me during that time. 

Unfortunately, that is usually not the case.  In Burlingame, on Bellevue Ave, I have seen family of 8 or more all stuff into a 1-bedroom apartment to take advantage of the situation, and the individuals who live in those units will many times loiter around the area and both steal and vandalize from surrounding apartments. They also immediately make the area around the apartment feel unsafe in the evening as they loiter outside late into the night.

Personally, I believe that there should be less Section 8 and/or Low Income housing in upscale areas and the individuals who apply for these units should be restricted and highly regulated.  I have lived in various apartments in usually upscale neighborhoods and have seen this assistance significantly abused.  This ends up defeating the purpose of the housing as well as decreases the desirability of the area for others.

On top of that, Section 8 and Low Income housing decreases the supply and increases rent for the rest of us, hard working individuals who fund the program in the first place.  Individuals and families who take advantage of the government's helping hand should be eliminated from wasting my hard earned tax money.  Instead, the should have random check-ins to make sure only one family lives there as well as a performance component that measures their children's classroom grades.  Only families who meet both criteria should be allowed to remain.  If they only aspire to become a member of a gang, they don't need to do it in an upscale area.

End of the day, people who are driven to excel will do so no matter what difficulties face them.  People who do not will just take what is given to them for granted.

My 2 cents.