Letters to the Editor: A Section 8 crisis in a world with abundant luxury condos

Los Angeles Times Opinion
·1 min read
169
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 18, 2022 - - Robert Gardner, a Section 8, tenant who was denied numerous times by landlords who said they didn't take Section 8, stands in the apartment building where he currently lives in Los Angeles on October 18, 2022. It took Gardner months until he finally found a landlord who would agree to take his Section 8 voucher. Two years ago, the city and state passed laws that barred landlords from refusing to take Section 8 residents. But tenants and activists say this continues. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Robert Gardner, a Section 8 tenant who was denied numerous times by landlords who said they didn't take Section 8, stands in his Los Angeles apartment building. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: An article in The Times details the maze that renters face, particularly Section 8 renters — in other words, people with not much money, who need their rent federally subsidized.

In the same print edition that this article ran, The Times had multiple advertising inserts for houses and condos for sale for hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. There was another thick glossy insert advertising all the wonderful items available for those who have a lot of money.

Not that there's anything wrong with any of that.

But Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is right: Our economy works very well for the millionaires and billionaires, and for the majority of Americans, not so much.

Jerry Beigel, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: As someone who owns a rental property, this statement right here is exactly why we would not accept Section 8 vouchers (before this practice became illegal, obviously): "The paperwork, inspections and delays it can take to rent to Section 8 tenants make some landlords wary."

That's all we needed — more government interference in what we could do with our property.

Fortunately, our son and daughter-in-law live in our rental now, so we don't have to worry about it.

Jon Schmid, La Mirada

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.