AP: Housing voucher limits undermining Katrina evacuees

[question everything]

Housing voucher limits undermining Katrina evacuees

By Lara Jakes Jordan
ASSOCIATED PRESS

November 14, 2005

WASHINGTON – Only $114 a month stands between Shawn Williams, a Hurricane Katrina evacuee, and eviction from her temporary apartment in Houston. Williams can afford to pay out of her pocket and is willing to do so to make up the difference between the $633 voucher she gets in federal housing aid and the apartment's $747 rent. But a bureaucratic snag prevents her from closing the gap.

After paying the entire rent herself for months because the landlord cannot accept the voucher, Williams says she's running out of money and fears losing the two-bedroom suburban apartment where she has lived with her disabled husband and teenage son since fleeing New Orleans more than two months ago.

(snip)

Federal officials said they couldn't say how many Katrina victims have been affected. Houston officials said as many as 6,000 additional rental units could be opened to families using federal vouchers if they were allowed to pay part of the rent... In some cases, local officials are unwilling to accept extra payments from tenants for fear that FEMA won't pick up its share.

The agency now is allowing some flexibility for reimbursements, including increasing the level of local rental costs and letting evacuees contribute to rental payments, spokeswoman Nicol Andrews said.


Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051114/news_1n14katrina.html

[OKthatsIT]

1. They better let them work and receive funds

That's why the Welfare System failed. They wouldnt allow women to work while receiving assistance. All it did was trap them. They couldnt get off assistance with low wages and no medical insurance for their children. Clinton did have a better plan BUT he only permitted assistance for 2 yrs.

A single mother with a 2 yrs old isn't prepared to battle life on her own income.

[Carolab]

2. Sounds like they are working it out. n/t

[Betsy Ross]

3. $633 voucher for three people

You can't park your car in some places for that amount. And the Feds won't allow recipients to make up the difference to get reasonable housing? Keep 'em all in a low-rent ghetto. Don't let them vote by mail as they recently requested.

*co always finds a way to make lemonade from the lemons it gets.