Section 8 Housing

* Guido De Rienzo raises valid points about the difficulties low-income renters face in the San Fernando Valley and throughout the Los Angeles area (Opinion, Feb. 6). However, his assumptions about the Section 8 emergency housing program are off base.

By committing his emergency reserve to this program, HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros recognized that the Section 8 program is the most effective means of quickly providing decent and safe housing for very low-income families displaced by the disaster. Section 8 certificate holders have the assurance of 18 months of rental assistance so their rent will be affordable. The Housing Authority inspects units prior to guaranteeing the owner Section 8, so the tenants are assured of a decent and safe home, which the owner must maintain.

Because the Housing Authority sets the total rent (the tenant’s payment plus the subsidy) according to prevailing rents for similar unsubsidized units, rent gouging is prevented. The Housing Authority also helps tenants find units in all areas of the city by providing certificate holders with listings of property owners who want to participate in the Section 8 program. Finally, Cisneros has committed HUD staff and resources to quickly address any discrimination by landlords and to assist tenants with mobility difficulties to locate and move into units.

De Rienzo suggests that “housing grants” replace the Section 8 program. Such an approach would be devastating to very low-income families who need the help of Housing Authority employees to locate units, negotiate rents with landlords and ensure good housing quality standards.

The Housing Authority’s employees, most of whom are represented by De Rienzo’s American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), are making it possible through their heroic efforts and professionalism for very low-income families to rebound from the earthquake.

DON SMITH, Executive Director

Los Angeles Housing Authority