Berwyn Housing Center seeks rental housing counselor

[~LL~]

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

Correctamundo!  And, trust me, this kind of position is a very thankless job.  Mountains of paperwork, and, I mean 'paper' work, versus 'electronic'/computer.

[OakParkSpartan]

You guys are completely misconstruing the purpose of the Housing Center.  It is NOT for Section 8.  Quite the opposite.  Talk to people who have rented in Oak Park.  You'll find many who found their place via the OP Housing Center.  It is a good program.  I rented a place that they directed to me for many years.

Rather than spreading unfounded rumors, why not see what they truly work towards?

As far as the salary, it is doable as an entry level job if you have a roommate or a working spouse.

[Nazerac]

Okay, forget the center and how it is involved in this. 

With the waiting list in OP for section 8 full, how is that going to affect berwyn?

[Bru67]

Ok, to clarify again, everyone understands that the Oak Park Regional Housing Center and the Oak Park Housing Authority are two different things right?  The former is a not-for-profit corporation which implements a marketing program aimed at encouraging diversity.  The latter is a municipal corporation funded by HUD (and sometimes the municipality) which administers Section 8 vouchers.  Got it?  Not criticizing Nazerac, it's just that I find people get confused over this.

That the OPHA's list is full means that the 450 or so vouchers they are alloted are taken.  But if someone comes into Oak Park with a voucher from the Cicero Housing Authority, or from the Housing Authority of Cook County, the OPHA cannot refuse to take it.  It must administer that voucher, in addition to its "own" vouchers.  If someone drops off the list, then a person on the waiting list will take that voucher (or it can be filled with a voucher the Authority is administering from another Authority).  

Whether or not the OPHA's list is full means less to Berwyn than rental rates.  Section 8ers pay 30% of their income towards housing and HUD pays the rest up to the area's "Fair Market Rent."  Present FMRs for our area are approximately $700 for a studio;  $800 for a 1 bedroom; $900 for a two bedroom;  $1100 for a three bedroom; and $1250 for a 4 bedroom.  If the community's rents are lower than the FMR, then the community will be attractive to Section 8 voucher holders, and landlords who will get a guaranteed check.  Conversely, if rental rates are higher than the FMR, you will see fewer of them, because landlords can get more for their unit on the open market.  Now, the holder can pay the difference over the FMR, but that isn't common.  They will go somewhere which fits under their voucher.

So if the fear is too much Section 8 in the community, the focus should be on raising rental rates.  You can do that by coverting some of them to condos (reduce supply) or increase desirability by marketing to a more diverse rental base, enforcing the building code, educating landlords, offering them incentives, etc. (increase demand).  

[Bru67]

One more point -- the housing authority which administers Section 8 vouchers in Berwyn, the Housing Authority of Cook County, also has a wait list, and it is closed.  Again, the key is rental rates, not per se the number of vouchers out there. 

[Nazerac]

Thanks for the clarification.