Low-income housing is designed to help low-income families by subsidizing their rent through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). But facts have recently been uncovered showing that rich people are allowed to rent these apartments, too. What?? Yes, and for every rich family living in low-income housing, a truly qualified low-income family gets left out in the cold.
Why rich people are living in low-income housing
It comes down to one factor: money. In New York, for example, the average monthly rent cost for a two-bedroom apartment is $3,800. Yet one family making $500,000 a year was allowed to rent a $1,500 a month apartment from the New York Public Housing Authority. They are just one of 10,000 families in New York who were not qualified to receive this benefit, while 300,000 families remain on the waiting list.
Why does HUD allow it?
The reason is not clear. But one thing is clear; they are not enforcing the rules. They seem to be passing the buck by not intervening when local public housing authorities like New York are knowingly approving low-income housing for those who are way over-qualified for it. The local housing authorities are getting rich themselves. The New York City Housing Authority rakes in $90 million in revenue from higher-income tenants, according to a report from the Post.
It's just not fair
If the government strictly enforces qualification rules on programs like TANF, SNAP, and Medicaid, programs that benefit the poor, it is logical to assume the government should also be strictly enforcing HUD housing qualification rules. HUD recently announced that they are now “taking additional steps to encourage housing authorities to establish policies that will reduce the number of over income families in public housing.” Reduce?? How about "eliminate"?
Read more at www.newsweek.com/why-are-rich-living-social-housing-366419
