Berwyn Housing Center seeks rental housing counselor

[Ted]

You can't "limit" Section 8 voucher holders anyway.  I don't know where you're getting that. 

  I am "getting that"  from the following post by OPS:

It would mean every landlord could not rent to Section 8.  Read up on Oak Park.  Only 25% of a building may be Section 8. 

I think this would go far in cleaning up some parts of our town.

Cheers,
Brian

  Was Brian incorrect when he stated that Oak Park limited a specific building to at most 25% Section 8 rentals??

  Ted

[Bru67]

Ahh ...

thanks for the clarification.  Does anyone know how many rental units Berwyn has?

Yes, about 7,500.  So using Ted's well-intentioned 20% cap, we get 1,500 Section 8 Voucher holders, or about 15x the present number.  The film "Escape from New York" comes to mind.

Snake Plisken

[Bru67]

You can't "limit" Section 8 voucher holders anyway.  I don't know where you're getting that. 

  I am "getting that"  from the following post by OPS:

It would mean every landlord could not rent to Section 8.  Read up on Oak Park.  Only 25% of a building may be Section 8. 

I think this would go far in cleaning up some parts of our town.

Cheers,
Brian

  Was Brian incorrect when he stated that Oak Park limited a specific building to at most 25% Section 8 rentals??

  Ted

Don't know.  I hadn't heard that.  From all my research, you cannot put a cap on Section 8 voucher holders.  But since Oak Park is no where near this cap, I suppose it could be a guideline. 

[Ted]

Ahh ...

thanks for the clarification.  Does anyone know how many rental units Berwyn has?

Yes, about 7,500.  So using Ted's well-intentioned 20% cap, we get 1,500 Section 8 Voucher holders, or about 15x the present number.  The film "Escape from New York" comes to mind.

Snake Plisken

So, Bru, are you saying that Oak Park limiting Section 8 vouchers to at most 25% per building or Oak Park having a housing authority is a bad idea?

 It seemed a lot of people on this board in summer and fall of 2006 thought having a Berwyn Housing Authority was a good idea and that limiting Section 8 rentals (similar to what Brian stated occurred in Oak park) was a good idea as well.

 What's changed?

 Also, are you postive that your numbers are correct?   I heard the numbers were hard to get and that the administration was not sure of those numbers for Section 8 vouchers in Berwyn?

Don't know.  I hadn't heard that.  From all my research, you cannot put a cap on Section 8 voucher holders.  But since Oak Park is no where near this cap, I suppose it could be a guideline. 

  Are you sure about that?  Since you did not know about the 25% limitation, then how would you know whether Oak Park is not near the cap??

 Ted

[Bru67]

So, Bru, are you saying that Oak Park limiting Section 8 vouchers to at most 25% per building or Oak Park having a housing authority is a bad idea?

There's no limit you can put on them.  Housing Authorities offer other advantages, including more localized control over the process and administration.  That can benefit both the voucher holder (who are not always the evil scum that people make them out to be) and the community.

 It seemed a lot of people on this board in summer and fall of 2006 thought having a Berwyn Housing Authority was a good idea and that limiting Section 8 rentals (similar to what Brian stated occurred in Oak park) was a good idea as well.

  What's changed?

Nothing.  I still personally think it's worth considering, for the aforesaid reasons. 

 Also, are you postive that your numbers are correct?   I heard the numbers were hard to get and that the administration was not sure of those numbers for Section 8 vouchers in Berwyn?

The old "they're lying" theory.  I've heard that about a million times.  That was the response to our FOIA request.  Until someone proves to me otherwise, the numbers are accurate.  The problem isn't Section 8.  It's a lot of things -- one of them being lack of demand among a diverse group of tenants, including students, young professionals, etc.  That's what the OPRHC should help bring in. 

Are you sure about that?  Since you did not know about the 25% limitation, then how would you know whether Oak Park is not near the cap??

Neither did you.  You were saying it was 20% earlier.  And I don't think there is a cap, as I said. 

[Nazerac]

If only the CTA would extend the pink line back to Oak Park, then all those apt. around Cermak would start attracting more young professionals.

[Bru67]

If only the CTA would extend the pink line back to Oak Park, then all those apt. around Cermak would start attracting more young professionals.

Why do you need to extend it to attract the young professionals?  It's like a 5 minute CTA bus ride from Cermak/East to the 54/Cermak Pink and Blue lines.  We can still market it as CTA and Loop friendly.  I think Cermak would be the best starting point for the BHC. 

[Bonster]

If only the CTA would extend the pink line back to Oak Park, then all those apt. around Cermak would start attracting more young professionals.

Another argument is that such lines provide a conduit for a less-welcome element to our rentals, as well.  I wouldn't doubt that played into removing it in the first place...

[dukesdad]

Another argument is that such lines provide a conduit for a less-welcome element to our rentals, as well.  I wouldn't doubt that played into removing it in the first place...

That's exactly why it was removed. What a colossal f-up that was !

[Bonster]

Another argument is that such lines provide a conduit for a less-welcome element to our rentals, as well.  I wouldn't doubt that played into removing it in the first place...

That's exactly why it was removed. What a colossal f-up that was !

What was?  Removing it, or the reason?

[rbain]

I would certainly prefer to take one train into town rather than a bus/train transfer. All of my CTA riding friends in Chicago would probably visit more, too.
When exactly were the tracks removed? Was it the same time streetcars were pulled out of most major cities? I believe there was some underhanded involvement of the auto industry in that, right? (there's a website http://www.trainweb.org/mts/ctc/ctc03.html exlaining how this happened in the San Francisco Bay Area if anyone's interested.)
-Rob

[dukesdad]

What was?  Removing it, or the reason?

Both.

[Ted]

Another argument is that such lines provide a conduit for a less-welcome element to our rentals, as well.  I wouldn't doubt that played into removing it in the first place...

That's exactly why it was removed. What a colossal f-up that was !

What was?  Removing it, or the reason?

There was a rumor or belief by people and political figures in the 1960s that HUD housing was going to be built in the area now known as the Vacin parkway.   The city bought the area and put up a parking lot in order to prevent HUD housing from buying the area from the CTA to put up HUD low income housing.

 I believe the trains stopped running to Oak Park Avenue in the late 1950s but the tracks were kept in place well into the 1960s (there is a discussion somewhere on Berwyn Talk about this).

Ted

[Artanis1215]

Ted,

I think you are correct.  I seem to remember the same thing as a young child.  Remember my parents speaking of it.

[Hogzilla]

Anyone taking that job would need Section 8 housing in order to live off $25-28k per year.

[Bonster]

All of my CTA riding friends in Chicago would probably visit more, too.

"Man, we never see Rob anymore since he moved to BFE."

[OakParkSpartan]

It is not an ordinance, but rather the Oak Park Housing Authority imposes the restriction:

Myth: If you rent to one Section 8 family, you must rent to more.     

Fact: If an owner rents to one HCV family, he/she is not required to rent to other HCV families. The OPHA asks that owners rent not more then 25% of their building's units to families that participate in the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

http://www.oakparkha.org/for_owners.html

[Nazerac]

From: http://www.oakparkha.org/hc_vouchers.html


Who is eligible?
Low-income families with a gross family income of below 50 percent of the area median income are eligible to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

so who would be eligible to come to Berwyn? I know that some high rises with section 8 housing require background checks etc. to keep the bad elements away, anything like that in Berwyn ... even for the 100 some voucher holders.

"Waiting List
The Oak Park Housing Authority's Housing Choice Voucher (Section waiting list is currently closed. Our waiting list closed on March 19, 2004. We expect the waiting list to remain closed for approximately seven (7) years."

So, if I understand it correctly ... right now, the section 8 program in Oak Park is at capacity ... what does that mean for Berwyn?

[rbain]

All of my CTA riding friends in Chicago would probably visit more, too.

"Man, we never see Rob anymore since he moved to BFE."

You joke, but it's true. (the 3 year old daughter may also have something to do with that, though...)

-Rob

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Anyone taking that job would need Section 8 housing in order to live off $25-28k per year.

LOL - perhaps they can throw in an apartment as a fringe benefit.  Seriously, though, I'm hoping a Berwyn resident with a good knowledge of the area gets the job - someone with a vested interest in the community - not just anyone looking for a paycheck.  Someone who might not want to see a large amount of Section 8.