Introduction
Several US political and socioeconomic groups do not support Section 8. All of them are likely to continue to oppose the continuation of this housing assistance public policy. Landlords remain the primary and most numerous oppositions to Section 8 in the American housing market. They own some residential property that they rent out to tenants. According to Hernandez (2021), “the challenge for many voucher-holders is finding landlords willing to accept them” (para. 1). One should expect that they will continue to resist legally and economically any form of continuation of this policy.
A substantial part of American politicians has a negative opinion of Section 8. The majority of them are affiliated politically with the Republican Party. Brey (2023) notes that “groups like the National Low Income Housing Coalition have been sounding the alarm that a Republican-controlled Congress may renew efforts to cut public assistance programs” (para. 2). Their perspective on the future of the program discussed is that it should be eliminated or significantly reduced and they are actively working on it. They strongly oppose any recommendation whose idea is to prolong or expand this policy initiative.
Some local and state governments also oppose the housing choice voucher program. For example, some abuse zoning laws to “block or limit affordable housing in prosperous areas” (Thomas, 2020). Others impose bans on enacting local source of income ordinances or conceptually and functionally similar laws (Hernandez, 2021, para. 18). Landlords have protection granted by local authorities in Texas, Iowa, and Indiana (Hernandez, 2021). They will go against the continuation of Section 8, but one must remember that this group is most susceptible to being influenced to change their opinion on the topic discussed.
Actual and Potential Rationales of Opponents of Section 8
The nature of the current motivation of the vast majority of landlords to be against Section 8 is financial. This program is not only about affordable housing for socioeconomically vulnerable groups but also about a safe one. If the landlord agrees that the tenant pays them with a voucher, then their property must pass a state inspection before the latter moves in (Hernandez, 2021).
The homeowner must fix the property using their resources if the property does not meet the safety standard. According to experts, “a unit must be inspected before move-in and then annually after that” (Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura, n.d., para. 1). The landlords say that the housing authority inspectors take a long time to arrive, which results in significant financial losses for them (Hernandez, 2021). If homeowners lose money because of Section 8, they will oppose it.
Republican politicians criticize and oppose the housing choice voucher program due to political considerations. Social welfare programs, to which Section 8 belongs, take a substantial portion of the country’s financial resources. Many Republicans want to make budget cuts and are unwilling to raise the debt ceiling (Brey, 2023). That is why “House Republicans are developing their budget proposal using a former Trump administration official’s outline that calls for phasing out the Housing Choice Voucher program” (Brey, 2023, para. 2). Section 8 continuation would mean less space for budget cuts, and that is why they will not support such a recommendation.
A financial interest drives some state governments to support an anti-Section Eight climate in their housing markets through zoning and to impose prohibitions against state and local source of income laws. A housing market that favors landlords over tenants benefits local authorities because it keeps prices high. The unspoken segregation by income achieved by zoning allows them to retain wealthy customers and attract new ones to local economies (Thomas, 2020). They will not support the Section 8 continuation until the federal government proposes an alternative housing market strategy.
Counterarguments
The landlords believe it is more costly than profitable to house Section 8 tenants, but their opinion is incorrect. Allowing oneself to be an actor in the Section 8 sub-sector of the housing market exposes oneself to the opportunities of earning a reliable and permanent rental income. As experts note, “the US government picks up the balance of the rental payment” (Monteiro, n.d., para. 2). Moreover, low-income tenants, who are the majority of the housing choice voucher program, are unlikely to move out once they get their desired, safe and high-quality home. Landlords should stop thinking about renting as a short-term way to earn money.
Republicans believe that cutting social welfare and eradicating Section 8 will effectively save budget money and allow them to avoid lifting the debt ceiling. It is a narrow-minded approach because removing accessible homes from low-income persons will exacerbate America’s homelessness crisis. Cornfield (2023) notes that “there were an estimated 580,500 people experiencing homelessness” in 2020 (para. 4). Section 8 may be inefficient in some ways. Still, many have found safe and quality housing thanks to it.
Keeping unspoken residential segregation through zoning laws and legal patronage of landlords is a corrupt way of developing local housing markets in cities and states. It limits economic opportunities for poor communities and exacerbates income gaps between socioeconomic and ethnic groups (Loh et al., 2020). Allowing Section 8 tenants to become equal market players heals local economies. Prices are taking their actual values, and the social climate in urban and suburban areas is improving.
Conclusion
Section 8 continuance is a necessity in today’s America. It is a well-designed welfare program that has undergone several transformations and helped hundreds of thousands of American residents. The housing choice voucher program manifests the American Dream by bringing equality and opportunity. The US is experiencing too many crises related to housing, leaving low-income people without access to affordable places to live and rest.
References
Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura. (n.d.). Section 8 landlords housing inspection information. AHACV. Web.
Brey, J. (2023). If Congress cuts section 8 housing, these states will suffer. Governing. Web.
Cornfield, G. (2023). What’s next for America’s homelessness crisis? Commercial Observer. Web.
Hernandez, K. (2021). Biden wants to offer more housing vouchers. Many landlords won’t accept them. The Pew Charitable Trusts. Web.
Loh, T. H., Coes, C., & Buthe, B. (2020). The great real estate reset. Brookings. Web.
Monteiro, M. (n.d.). Pros and cons of section 8 rentals. American Apartment Owners Association. Web.
Thomas, J. R. (2020). How wealthy towns keep people with housing vouchers out. ProPublica. Web.