5 Ways Section 8 Housing Is Failing Americans

Affordable Housing

Section 8 housing is a vital program. It is a beacon of hope for many low-income individuals and families across the United States. However, many areas for improvement have compromised the effectiveness of this essential program. In this article, we’ll explore the challenges of the current Section 8 program and propose solutions to overcome them. 

1. Low-Income Eligibility Standards

The most glaring issue with Section 8 is its income eligibility threshold, which can be prohibitively low for many struggling individuals and families. The program sets the limit at 50% of the area's median income. However, these figures differ from state to state and can be more stringent in some. Even states with exorbitant living costs, like California, can have eye-popping low-income limits. This leaves those just above this threshold without access to much-needed assistance. 

According to the US Census, the median household income in the United States is around $74,000. However, Section 8 factors in the local median income, which varies wildly from that figure. Operating on the median income for the whole country, to qualify for Section 8 assistance, a family of four would need income below $37,000. 

This figure is not only low but short-sighted. It fails to account for the varying costs of living across different regions. In cities with high housing costs, like San Francisco or New York City, even a modest income can be woefully insufficient to afford housing without assistance. 

It fails to consider other essential expenses, such as:

• Healthcare
• Transportation
• Utilities
• Childcare
• Food
• Clothing

These can rapidly deplete a family's budget, forcing them to choose between paying for necessities or maintaining their housing. This deepens a difficult-to-break cycle of poverty.

For example, the chart below shows Los Angeles’ Section 8 income eligibility requirements: