The Pros and Cons You Should Know About Before You Choose Section 8 Housing As Your Place of Residence
I have lived in section 8 housing for more than 4 years. There are pros and cons to this choice just like anything else. Section 8 is not for everyone. However, sometimes you do not have a choice. Sometimes you need to make the best of the situation because it is a place to live. I have some pros and cons you should consider before you make the leap. It might not be the best situation, but it beats some of the other alternatives.
The Pros
You have annual, sometimes semi-annual, inspections on the property. This helps to get rid of the tenants who are undesirable. It also helps to reduce the cost of repairs in the long-term. There are on time payments. Section 8 pays their portion. You pay yours. There are no excuses. It happens like clockwork every month. It gives you some stability. Our rent is increased every year when we renew our lease. That might happen to you too. However, your rent is still going to be lower than other people.
The Cons
The first con applies to the people who own and operate section 8. The tenant might damage the property. You might get a little compensation for it, but not that much. The government might give you a voucher to compensate for what happened, but it is not that much. That is why it is better to screen every applicant you have coming in. You need to weed out the undesirables before it is too late.
You might need to be put on a waiting list before you can move in. Your property might fail the inspection. That means they need to do more work before it will pass. It happened to us. You might be dealing with some unruly neighbors. That is one of the downsides to being in Section 8 housing. They try to keep a nice class of people in there, but it does not always work out that way.
Section 8 