Section 8 voucher program (Chicago, Humboldt: to rent, credit score, how much)

[ajolotl]

I see. I guess then the question is if there are any rules against carving a house into several rental units, which would be the obvious way to bring the price down but still make money.

Originally Posted by Anthera

a condo association may have rules against renting, many have rules about numbers of occupants, deposits, etc.

Its possible that your neighbors could rent to section 8, but they payments are not what would usually rent a SFH. The run more to the apartment price range.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

I see. I guess then the question is if there are any rules against carving a house into several rental units, which would be the obvious way to bring the price down but still make money.

This would be dictated by zoning. Most suburban zoning codes have strict controls over this type of thing. They clearly spell out single-family vs. multi-family and the number of units allowed, etc. It's illegal to convert single-family to multi-family in most suburban neighborhoods.

[ajolotl]

thanks. that's good news, though of course this is the city not suburbs. Is the same true in the city?

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

This would be dictated by zoning. Most suburban zoning codes have strict controls over this type of thing. They clearly spell out single-family vs. multi-family and the number of units allowed, etc. It's illegal to convert single-family to multi-family in most suburban neighborhoods.

[snoylekim]

This practice was prevalent in certain South Side areas in the 1930s- 1950s ...larger homes were carved up to create 6-10 'apartments' with minimal regard to existing code and zoning .. This was in response to the second wave of African American Migration to the city, and in response to the housing shortage after WWII ..it was illegal then, and is illegal now .. difference is back then , Building code and zoning violations weren't enforced in certain areas ..

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

Section 8 renter is essentially a code word for poor black in Chicago for many people, not me. Can someone please post the stats for racial breakdown of Section 8 renters?

This company CHAC operates the housing voucher program in Chicago. There are many housing authorities in the metro area, but I think Cook County has just a few: Chicago, Oak Park, Evanston, Cicero, and the rest of the county is under Cook County Housing Authority.

On CHAC's website, their Progress Report document says that in 2006, there were 36,000 families with housing vouchers in Chicago. 96k people with an average household size of 2.8 people. 35% of these families received income from employment. 43% lived in neighborhoods classified as "low-poverty". For the heads of household, about 3% were non-Hispanic whites. 11% were Hispanic, and 86% were black. The average subsidy per unit was $733. Average family income was 11k, and they paid $200 in rent on average. 12k of the households had a disabled head of household. 5,600 households were headed by an elderly person. 20k households were families with children.

So almost half of Section 8 voucher holding families were headed by either an elderly or disabled person, and only about 55% of families had children. So really, a lot of the section 8 stereotype is just that - a stereotype. The ones who behave badly are the ones who get noticed, so people assume that all section 8 renters are the same. But if you're renting a house, you're much more likely to get bad tenants than you would if you were renting a studio, as you'll be renting to poor families with children rather than a single elderly or disabled person. The multi person households are going to be renting larger places, which means they're also much more likely to have other people living with them unofficially, including criminals (against the rules)

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by snoylekim

This practice was prevalent in certain South Side areas in the 1930s- 1950s ...larger homes were carved up to create 6-10 'apartments' with minimal regard to existing code and zoning .. This was in response to the second wave of African American Migration to the city, and in response to the housing shortage after WWII ..it was illegal then, and is illegal now .. difference is back then , Building code and zoning violations weren't enforced in certain areas ..

This was/is widespread in Uptown,Edgewater,and Lake View as well. There are quite a few buildings that still are carved up. They are legal today, because they were grandfathered in.

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

I see. I guess then the question is if there are any rules against carving a house into several rental units, which would be the obvious way to bring the price down but still make money.

I had meant to DM you about this whole thing. I know you're speaking of your friend in this particular thread/situation, but as I was perusing Craigslist for apartments/housing in Beverly, I saw a few ads mentioning Sec8 welcomed- rent a SFH. I found this to be pretty interesting, especially in this neighborhood.

But, you said this is already happening in East Beverly?

[ajolotl]

The far eastern side of Beverly is a little rough in parts, particularly some parts of Charles and Church -- there are multi-family units, section 8, etc. a little of everything (I know it to be rough from the police commander, not simply because there are multi-units, etc.). The Ridge Historic District (from Prospect west) is in very good shape overall. I wasn't clear in the original post but I was mainly interested in knowing what kind of protection there was against an influx of section 8 renters in the heart of east beverly (not eastern fringes). These south side neighborhoods are not as resilient as on the north side, so one has to err on the paranoid side.

Originally Posted by ManheimMadman

I had meant to DM you about this whole thing. I know you're speaking of your friend in this particular thread/situation, but as I was perusing Craigslist for apartments/housing in Beverly, I saw a few ads mentioning Sec8 welcomed- rent a SFH. I found this to be pretty interesting, especially in this neighborhood.

But, you said this is already happening in East Beverly?

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

The far eastern side of Beverly is a little rough in parts, particularly some parts of Charles and Church -- there are multi-family units, section 8, etc. a little of everything (I know it to be rough from the police commander, not simply because there are multi-units, etc.). The Ridge Historic District (from Prospect west) is in very good shape overall. I wasn't clear in the original post but I was mainly interested in knowing what kind of protection there was against an influx of section 8 renters in the heart of east beverly (not eastern fringes). These south side neighborhoods are not as resilient as on the north side, so one has to err on the paranoid side.

I hear you, for sure. It would be a shame for such a historic, beautiful neighborhood to be ruined.

[Imdisabledsection8scum]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

interesting. the Section 8 family that lived below me in Evanston many years back was a mixed white/mexican couple. He drank all day and beat her. The kids ran free and had horrible manners. The mother addressed the kids as 'bastard' (in spanish with a horrible accent), not even sure what their names were. It was a six-flat and they completely ruined an otherwise very good building in a cool spot. My friend in Evergreen Park is having trouble with a Mexican family. I guess it's hard to generalize.

What happened many years ago is no longer true. The rules are stricter now and inspections are made yearly.

I am a college graduate white woman who after working 35 years was disabled by a 16 year old who drove through a stop sign (I was the 3rd person she hurt in the 6 months she had her license). From the age of 16, I worked while going to high school and then college. I never married. I don't drink, do drugs, or make any noise. My choice is Section 8 voucher or death.

I have had every penny of my security deposits returned to me when I have moved. Every one of my landlords say that they will rent to Section 8 clients again, because they had such a good experience with me and with Section 8 paying on time.