Tuesday, October 09, 2007

How Our Government Wastes Our Money

I normally don't get into discussions on social service programs but I find the following information to be totally disgusting. Did you know that there are countless families living in homeless shelters on Long Island right now? Did you also know that there is no need for many of these families to live in such overcrowded and awful situations? Here is the problem in a nutshell. A family gets into financial difficulty because they don't make a lot of money. They get paid minimum wage and this is not enough money to cover the costs of an average 3 bedroom rental which typically rents for $1700 to $2000 per month plus utilities. Remember these are hard working people who just don't have the skills, education or temperament to make a decent wage. Their options are to get government subsidies so they can afford to pay the rent on a home or an apartment or to end up in a homeless shelter.

The paperwork required to get into one of these subsidized programs is daunting and the waiting list can be months or years. If you fill out a form and miss one question the paperwork is returned to you and the process starts all over again. The government pays somewhere in the vicinity of $4000 per month for a homeless family to live in one bedroom in part of a home that has been converted into a homeless shelter. So, let's see........... do the math, an average 3 bedroom home converted into a homeless shelter receives $12,000 per month from the government while landlords that have perfectly decent 3 bedroom homes available for rent may end up having their homes sit vacant for months until a tenant is found. What kind of sense does that make????

I have an idea to change this system but no one wants to hear it much less implement it. We could have a centralized list of landlords that have available housing and tenants that need available housing. DSS (Department of Social Services) and SSP (Shelter Supplement programs) and Section 8 could be more consistently and adequately funded and paperwork could be streamlined. The rent guidelines for payments could be increased to represent fair market value to landlords willing to rent to those on such government programs. Townships could stop making it so darn difficult for landlords to pass inspections. It has become normal in the town of Brookhaven for 3 separate inspections by 3 different agencies to happen on one home before it may be considered to have passed inspection. For G-d's sake, my own primary residence would fail their insane inspections. Meanwhile all this red tape is happening while poor families languish in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. I frankly find it deplorable. It's time for a change.

5 Comments:

At 10/29/07, 5:12 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

I agree with you 100%

If you know of any govt. agency paying 12000 per month for a 3 bedroom house please let me know right away. Evan 631`-404-9718

I have a 3 bedroom house available in the middle of remodeling!!

God Bless!
Evan

 
At 11/13/07, 5:56 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would never rent a house to someone who isn't paying the rent themselves. You can really devalue your property in a hurry with the wrong tenants. If someone isn't investing the cash themselves, there's very little incentive for them to maintain your property. Even a two month deposit (the legal limit) wouldn't cover more than cosmetic fixes. Why don't you just invite them all to come live with you in your house?

 
At 11/14/07, 10:14 AM, Blogger Bethany said...

I have had cash paying tenants and government subsidized tenants and to tell you the truth it hasn't made any difference in how my rental homes were taken care of. Some of my cash paying tenants were horrific and some of my government subsidized tenants were terrific. A personal interview with a prospective tenant as well as calling their previous landlord seems to be the best method of weeding out problems before they even begin.

 
At 11/14/07, 10:42 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just rented my downstairs and the woman was so nice she had her boyfriend come in and re do some walls and help with setting up the kitchen...they painted all the doors and molding put new paint on the walls and ceilings and i allowed them to take out a wall...it has been a bit stressful dealing with the daily knocks at the door and pace of work...but the quality is great and the people are very friendly....i am happy....tomorrow i will get the balance of the first and last months rent and the month to month lease will commence from the 15th.....keep my new venture in your prayers...by the way i rented a 2 bedroom apartment with laundry room and use of the yard for 1100 per month...it was a three bed but since the wall came down well you know....i think the best thing to do is allow people to create a comfortable living space that they will be happy with it adds to the harmony of the household..

God Bless..!1

P.S.

12000 per month is B.S. in the original text! they should redact that statement...or show and prove!!!

 
At 11/9/08, 11:31 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I AGREE WITH BETHANY. I WAS A MOTHER LIVING IN A SHELTER FOR 2 YEARS WITH MY CHILDREN. THE FIRST SHELTER WAS A MOTEL ROOM WITH A BATHROOM,AND A MICROWAVE ON THE BATHROOM SINK,WITH NO OTHER WAY OF COOKING. THE COST PER MONTH PAID TO THE SHELTER WAS $6060.00. THE NEXT SHELTER WAS A 1 BEDROOM, AND A LIVINGROOM, WITH OUR OWN BATHROOM,SHARE THE KITCHEN WITH 2 OTHER FAMILIES,AND THE KIDS WERE NOT ALLOWED OUTSIDE EXCEPT TO GO TO SCHOOL. THE COST:$9999.99 PER MONTH, PAID FOR BY DSS. THE THIRD SHELTER WE WERE SHIPPED TO WAS A ROACH INFESTED MOTEL,WITH A DELAPIDATED KITCHEN(WHICH BY THE WAY THE STOVE CAUGHT FIRE FROM BAD WIRES TWO TIMES).THE COST PER MONTH:$6999.00 PAID FOR BY DSS.THE LAST SHELTER WAS A PRIVATE HOUSE,3 BEDROOM, THE LANDLORD ALLOWED DSS TO PLACE NEEDY FAMILIES IN HIS HOME FOR A SMALL PRICE,$8000.00/MONTH, NEEDLESS TO SAY WE STAYED A YEAR.NOW YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT COST IN TOTAL? TRY $195,177.00. THAT IS WHAT DSS PAYED FOR MY FAMILY TO STAY IN SHELTERS FOR TWO YEARS. BUT THE KICKER IS THEY REFUSED ME 7 DIFFERENT HOUSES THAT I SAT AND HAD FILLED OUT BY PROPOSED LANDLORDS WILLING TO ACCEPT DSS AS A PARTIAL PAYMENT, AND THE REASON I WAS DENIED IS BECAUSE I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO LIVE IN A CLEAN SAFE HOME WITH MY CHILDREN AT THE COST OF $1600.00 OR MORE. I WAS TOLD I CAN'T LIVE A HOME THAT WAS OVER $1500.00/MONTH.CAN SOMEONE, ANYONE TELL ME WHERE THERE IS A 3-4 BEDROOM FOR LESS THAN THAT?UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!

 

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