myth or reality

[Shawn Juris]

There's been quite a communication gap regarding the term Section 8. I am curious and am confident that with the attention shown to detail in the past someone here can provide some actual statistics as it pertains to this particular issue.
First, are these records public?
If so, how many households are section 8?
I'm dismissing that this is a racial issue but I know that our PC police will be itching to paint it as such so what's the real breakdown across race demographics?
Is there any correlation between this factor and service calls (EMS, Fire, Police, Housing), is it significantly different than the city average?

I admit that I have a negative perception of section 8 tenants. Maybe I'm wrong though. It's possible that they don't cost the city anything more than any other resident and are a joy to know. So please convince me but go beyond bleeding heart rhetoric about how it's racist, or dispassionate. I'm just concerned about the disparity of contribution which by the very subsidy exists.

[Dave Sharosky]

Shawn,

I can tell you from personal experience, first section 8 is supposed to give assistance to those that need help in paying for their housing. People that are truly in need. It wasn't for me but for someone I know. But trust me, like any government funded program there are plenty of bad people who know how to use and abuse the system to their advantage. That's probably the section 8 people a lot of the public has come to associate the program with.

But in stating that, I believed you also posed a question in respect to, is the section 8 tenants draining our resources, "Is there any correlation between this factor and service calls (EMS, Fire, Police, Housing), is it significantly different than the city average?" Personally and I think stats will show this, in considering section 8 housing alone they're not a major drain, especially on this city. I believe the drain is coming from the landlords, especially absentee landlords who see the glut of rentals, who will not only drop their prices but will rent to anyone even without a background check. That's were a majority of EMS and police calls are going. And that last statement is for another thread, such as the "Absentee Landlord" thread. If anyone would like me to clarify my last point, please let me know and I will in that thread.

[Shawn Juris]

The EMS correlation was based on anecdotes about Sect 8 apartments making an awful lot of calls to the fire dept up on the gold coast. As mentioned stats to pursuade otherwise would be appreciated but my logical assessment is that while some are throwing the elderly in to make a case for how section 8 tenants couldn't possibly be a responsible for crime or increasing costs for the PD, they certainly seem to keep EMS/Fire Depts hopping. I'm sure that maybe Bill Call can throw in some numbers for the cost to the city and thereby the taxpayers for these calls. Again, subsidized rents, contributing to the city or just taking out withdrawls?

[Jim O'Bryan]

Shawn

CMHA is a client of mine, I will call and ask if they have anything today.

Section 8 is not a color issue, and I am sure the numbers will back you and I up on that. It is an ownership issue for some.

Being a scanner junky I am sure our old age aparments Westerly, Barton, Senior Health Care Campus get a large majority of calls for ambulances.

Now the question is how many of those residents are Section 8?


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