The Observation Deck

Justine Cooper wrote:But people who own homes and pay taxes should not be criticized if THEY choose to rent to section 8 and they shouldn't all be lumped into greedy or unethical landlords. It just isn't true. Many invest for the future for themselves and their children and rent out to regular paying tenants or section 8, hoping to have that investment one day paid off. In the meantime, it is a lot of work and money and they should not be stereotyped or told how to do it. That's all.

Justine

No one was critizied!

It would seem that David and you expressed some problems in renting. I was merely explaining other ways to address the renter problem.

David chose Section 8 for a check on time to fit his business plan. Another option is a deduction in rent for paying early.

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So I deduct 10% if they pay by the 5th, but if they never pay then its 10% of zero. Sorry to be different then you, but that doesn't make me wrong like you indicate. I believe you rent over on the west end which is different then the middle of Lakewood. Plus if I choose to help out a family I do it at my choice. Sorry, I can't be as great as you - only can be myself

Sheesh, Mr. Scott, take it easy. Jim was just providing a different way of developing a tenant/landlord relationship that brings mutual respect to the home. I don't think he was being condescending or attacking anyone for not following his method. (This is a problem with the written word. It's hard to pick up tone or inflection. Emoticons can only convey so much).

That said, I did appreciate the second half of your post that which you intended as a correction to the "mis-information" regarding Section 8 - HCVP. I thought yours was one of the best posts I've read on this subject and I thank you for taking the time.

I have rental property in the Hilliard/Madison and Riverside/Franklin neighborhoods. I've had one potential tenant inquire regarding my acceptance of Section 8. I agreed to check it out and this single mother of a 3-year old submitted an application to CMHA which I followed-up with my paperwork. She apparently withdrew her request because she never re-conacted me. I was impressed with the CMHA representative's claim that they seriously inspect all houses before allowing one of their clients to enter or continue an arrangement. However, I never really experienced this firsthand and your post helped me understand this process a bit more.

Lakewood can't eliminate Section 8 from its borders - nor am I suggesting it should try. The question I have concerns the need to hold CMHA Section 8 to their own standards. How can we as a city ensure that CMHA is indeed inspecting all of its clients' units as thoroughly as they have done yours?

I support any reasonable effort on the part of CMHA or Lakewood's Housing Department that adds and ensures the quality of Lakewood's housing stock, rental or other.

Mr. Scott, you wrote "that those who complain about the program should do a little research." I agree. They should do a little research instead of listening to candidates who seem to be leading voters into thinking, without providing valid statistics, that Lakewood's crime wave is linked specifically to Section 8 housing.

David Anderson wrote: Mr. Scott, you wrote "that those who complain about the program should do a little research." I agree. They should do a little research instead of listening to candidates who seem to be leading voters into thinking, without providing valid statistics, that Lakewood's crime wave is linked specifically to Section 8 housing.

Thank you for a good post. Especially considering that most of the crime in Lakewood occurs from people who don't even live in Lakewood!!

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Rick Uldricks wrote:

I support any reasonable effort on the part of CMHA or Lakewood's Housing Department that adds and ensures the quality of Lakewood's housing stock, rental or other.

The section 8 program is probably getting a bad rap. However, there is a growing problem in Lakewood with deteriorating housing stock. Some of the homes and rental properties are just plain eyesores and dumps. It really doesn't matter to me what the cause is, something needs to be done to clean these properties up and keep them clean.

I live next to one of these "eyesores" (rental property...not necessarily Section 8 as I have no idea if it is, but I don't think so). I called the Building Dept. on Friday and the landlord was there this morning working on at least one of the things I complained about. Boy, that was a pleasant surprise. I just hope they don't just make just quick fixes to get the city off their back. It will be interesting to see the progress.

The house is a double in which the owners used to live in. They moved to Westlake and have been renting it out for probably about five years now.

They started to paint, but only did the front....so the house is two different colors.

Then they nailed boards up around the windows with plastic to help keep the cold out in the winter. Okay fine, but now (years later), they tore the plastic down and the ugly boards with ripped plastic is still there.

The back steps to the downstairs unit is treacherous. The rail gave way when the most recent tenant (who has since moved) was leaning against it. (This is the issue being addressed this morning, which I guess is the most important for obvious safety reasons).

There's a huge bare spot on the front lawn where a very large oak tree was cut down. The downstairs tenant (now gone) attempted to plant grass seed....the landlord told him not to bother.

The grass doesn't get cut often enough and the grass around the perimeter where the mower doesn't reach never gets cut.

I was inside for the first time a few months ago when my neighbor gave me a tour (again they're now gone after only 7 months), and there are water stains on one of the bedroom's ceiling & wall from the upstairs unit's kitchen which is right above.

They don't care about the property, they just care about the rent check.

Lakewood didn't used to have any mechanism for city-wide inspection in place, but that changed a few years ago. No cases went to housing court for a while, but cases have been going to housing court for the past 3.5 years. We also got another inspector.

Turning run-down properties around doesn't happen overnight.

Rental properties are inspected - as some folks here who have rental properties have attested. Some landlords act quickly to get their properties up to code and others have to go through the court process.

Sometimes there are other issues involved, like rental property owners who need help getting their places in order, and the city works with those owners, too.

Stepping up the inspection process has been a good start.

DL - Your are very correct. Lakewood's inspection program has indeed evolved and expanded.

I failed to mention my personal experiences with Lakewood's Housing Department. This omission may lead some to think that Lakewood doesn't have a plan/policy. In fact, the policy/plan is very fair in my estimation and has helped me correct problems and eliminate potentials and I view the inspectors as partners.

Rick,
I don't disagree that run down properties are a huge negative for this city! But many are not section 8. We have a triple on our street that has a revolving door and it is not section 8. I would be surprised Dee if the property you referred to is section 8 since they do strict inspections. I would think they would never approve that house!

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Rick,
I don't need to re-read, I didn't disagree with what you said, but with a lot of generalizations that others have made about section 8, in many threads. It has become the scapegoat for some to blame every single problem Lakewood has on. It is an easy target. But like you said, ANY run down property in Lakewood hurts Lakewood and there are a lot of slum landlords (one that owns many and doesn't care who she rents to and lives in a nice house on Lake Rd-and if she reads this EVERY neighbor on me street is disgusted with what she is doing). I DO hope the city gets on all these landlords and develops a plan to do something positive with foreclosed homes that drag us all down.

I sent this link to my friend who is looking for a section 8 for his friend. She is in her sixties and is looking for a first floor as she just got custody of her great granddaughter. If anyone knows of a good one please PM me. Thanks.

Justine,

This is exactly the type of person that Section 8 was designed to help. Again, I believe that the majority of Section 8 housing in Lakewood is the elderly and disabled. Look at the Westerly, Fedor Manor, Lakeshore Tower all well run buildings, all safe and mostly Section 8.

I agree with DL do inspections, enforce the law. But don't complain too much about section 8 - it may be your elderly mother or your brother who was diabled in Iraq that may need assistance. Section 8 housing is much safer than the big housing projects.

Just some food for thought.

Regarding Section 8 and crime:

Under the agreement that was signed between Mayor George and CMHA in March of 2006, the city has a responsibility to document criminal activity which occurs at subsidized housing sites, and is then to report that information to CMHA. CMHA can then take action against the tenants.

At one of our Public Safety meetings last month, I asked both the police chief and the law director how this provision of the agreement was being enforced. Both were unaware that it existed, despite the fact that Mayor George, as Public Safety Director, put out a press release regarding it in March of 2006.

Last week, I received a call from a patrolman who is a friend of mine. The patrol officers just received a copy of all of the CMHA properties, and now can start cross-checking arrests against these addresses.

After 18 months of inexplicable delay, now we should get some data about Section 8 and crime, instead of leaving it to the imagination. We should also start getting any offenders who do reside in Section 8 evicted, as other suburbs have been doing for years. If we actually start enforcing this agreement, we won't have to have a discussion where no one has actual hard data about any link between Section 8 and crime.

That is the best thing I have heard so far on safety and the section 8 discussion. While SOME section 8 tenants are not good citizens here, just as SOME renters and homeowners ma be not law-abiding citizens here, it falls on the city to actually ENFORCE the laws already in place to make this a safer and nicer city, and quit making the whole section 8 program the scapegoat for all of this city's problems!

Thank you for the post and for being on this! All the safety meetings in the world won't make a difference until laws are being enforced. And NONE of us want to pay taxes for criminals to live free in our community or any!