Imagine Cash Benefits Instead of Housing Vouchers

Urban areas in California are among the most expensive places to live in the United States, but California also has a stronger social safety net than almost any other state. People in other states probably have it worse, but the government programs designed to protect Californians from financial catastrophe don’t feel like much relief. For one thing, accessing your benefits feels like a full-time job. Even though many beneficiaries of programs such as housing assistance are in the workforce full-time, they are subject to scrutiny if their employment income increases or decreases substantially. 

To the surprise of Californians and everyone else, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is considering replacing its notoriously cumbersome housing voucher program with cash payments directly to tenants. While this change would probably make life simpler for tenants and landlords, the path to implementing it is littered with obstacles. For help coping with your financial situation until the cash assistance program comes to fruition, if it ever does, contact an Oakland lawsuits, collections, and creditor harassment lawyer.

Would Cash Assistance for Housing Prevent Drama Between Landlords and Tenants?

Rental assistance vouchers from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) prevent many thousands of Californians from being at constant risk of homelessness. Despite this, they cause plenty of frustration for beneficiaries, landlords, and applicants. For every person currently in possession of a HUD housing voucher, there are three on the waiting list. Furthermore, nearly half of the people who receive vouchers never finalize a lease agreement before the voucher expires, so they go back to the end of the waiting list without ever having received assistance. Even in the best-case scenario, where the beneficiary finds an apartment to rent, not a penny goes into the tenant’s pocket. Instead, HUD pays local housing authorities, and the local housing authorities pay the landlords, and all parties involved complain at every stage of the process.

Local nonprofits in California and elsewhere have been running small-scale programs that give cash assistance, also known as guaranteed income, but now, HUD is considering converting its housing voucher program into a cash assistance program. This would mean that beneficiaries would receive cash payments equivalent to 70% of their rent. Of course, it would not be possible for HUD to guarantee from the beginning that the beneficiaries used the money for rent unless the landlords complained about nonpayment. Depending on tenants to pay their rent, though, is easier than having to jump through all the hoops required to get payment through HUD vouchers. Landlords would have the right to evict guaranteed income recipients who do not pay their rent, just as they have the right to evict any other tenants who fall behind on payments.

Contact the Law Office of Melanie Tavare About Remaining in a Stable Housing Situation

A debt relief lawyer can help you if your debt problems are threatening the stability of your housing situation. Contact the Law Office of Melanie Tavare in Oakland, California, or call (510)255-4646 for a case evaluation.