Got Voucher, Need Decent Housing

While a Section 8 voucher is a wonderful thing to have, it doesn’t always lead to decent housing. In Birmingham, AL, HUD auditors found that about 88 percent of units rented by voucher holders did not meet federal quality standards. More than half the units had major problems, such as exposed wiring, water leaks and unsafe stairs. The auditors blamed the local housing authority for not reporting problems. Eleven of the landlords who owned property cited by auditors have since been disqualified from the Section 8 program. (Birmingham News, 11/4)