Tenant Spars With Landlord Over Needed Repairs
It happens all too often. Those that need help from a governmental agency get brushed off. While the government doesn’t look to be at fault in this case, all too often they are. Those in need are placed in inferior apartments, rooms and housing units. The problem starts with the agency and that’s why I am referring to them first. The agencies that are responsible for the placement of those in need all too often only give the client/applicant a choice of selecting the least of the worst, if available and if approved of by landlord. The agency that is responsible for this is normally called The Board of Social Services. I have been to many meetings with clients that have applied to some of these agencies. The housing lists are often outdated with wrong information and the social worker’s themselves even misdirect the client. The worker’s are often overworked with too many cases and that leads to bad attitudes. In being in at least a dozen meetings I have found but one social worker that had an attitude of care and concern toward the client/applicant. Generally speaking, people that grow up wanting to be a social worker have an a good caring disposition toward those in need, however after a couple years of working the system that all changes. I am not saying in all cases, probably just most. It is understandable if you see the workload and the type of people that they have to deal with each day. I believe that they should think about that before getting into that field of work because it’s those type of people that need the help, and it’s that overworked agency that has no funds that is going to overwork them. If they don’t like it, they should get out.
In this case a tenant receiving Section 8 benefits, which help provide rental assistance, has a problem getting repairs done for an inconceivable amount of time by the landlord. The landlord is responsible for such repairs but doesn’t complete them and for months the tenant couild not even use their kitchen and the landlord even has plastic over the stove to protect it from the water leaks coming from above the ceiling (presumably the roof). Landlords receive money from section 8 to help them to maintain the repairs that are needed. In all actuality a landlord is responsible for these repairs whether or not they get money for the repairs, they collect rent. The rents that section 8 pays on behalf of the applicant/client does not receive any type of discount, they pay full price from out of the taxpayer’s wallets. This is a program that is much needed across this nation, however, it needs better management. The program would benefit from management that hired from businesses rather than getting it’s management from within the pool of social worker’s. Business Managers would secure better contracts with landlord’s and vendor’s with discounted pricing. they would also keep information up to date as well as having proper inspector’s. Their vendor/landlord list would constantly be upgraded and payments would be on time to the vendor’s and thereby they would have more landlord’s applying to be placed on the vendor list.
The Board of Social Services has an obligation to those that it represents and landlord’s have an obligation to their tenants, whether they are poor or not. Substandard housing is not for anyone, not even for the homeless. I know a guy who receives what is called; “Temporary Rental Assistance, aka: TRA.” He has a single room furnished with a twin size bed, TV, dresser, a fridge and a microwave. His rent is $680.00 per month in the suburbs. He shares a bathroom and kitchen with four others plus guests. The landlord does not clean anything and in fact the tenant reports to me that since he has lived there none of the management has ever cleaned the bathroom and it has been seven months. He says he wears shoes in the shower. The toilet is falling through the floor, as is the tub as well.It is winter there and the heat doesn’t work properly so he has a portable electric radiator. The walls have no insulation and the concrete floor only has a throw rug over it. The TV, 13in; doesn’t have cable, even with $680.00 per month.The twin bed has Bed Bugs. There is a colony of ants living in one of the walls and share his room with him, the flying one’s anyway (swarmers). Let’s not forget about the fleas and the cockroaches. Even in November they were swarming because of the radiator being near the wall. The maintenance man works in the hallway in the buff and on numerous occasions has told him that he was going to kick his butt and kill and bury him. The maintenance man drinks too much when on the job.
Is this stuff that someone in need is supposed to put up with? Because they don’t have anything they should be thankful right? Well I believe we all are God’s children and that we all deserve the same. Capitalism may say different, but I disagree. Maybe because I am poor, in the pocket that is, not in spirit.
May God bless you.
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