Million Dollar Wasteland - Housing for the Poor

[chanel]

The deal was forged in 2008 when a fledgling nonprofit group with political connections promised to turn distressed apartment complexes into badly needed homes for troubled young men.

Peaceoholics had never bought or repaired a building. It had never operated affordable housing. It had no construction money from private lenders and less than $27,000 cash on hand.

But the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development delivered $4.6 million to the organization so it could buy three apartment complexes and launch renovations. Then-Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) hailed the project as a way to help at-risk men transitioning out of foster care

The ill-fated project, which is now under council scrutiny, underscores the city’s years-long struggle to build and renovate housing for the poor. Time and again, the housing agency has poured millions in local and federal money into affordable housing projects that were delayed, over budget or riddled with undocumented costs.

The article is five pages. There are several other projects mentioned.

Hey - let's give the government mo' money. We need more to help the poor.

D.C. housing deal shows much spent but less accomplished - The Washington Post

 

[Claudette]

Yeah. Good idea. Lets sink more tax dollars into free housing for people who take care of nothing.

How many of these projects have already been demolished??

The "poor" could care less about taking care of something that someone else is paying for.

 

[JoeB131]

PUblic housing was always a bad idea. But it is the result of every other bad decision we haven't addressed as a country.

 

[old navy]

Anything involving the DC city government must be looked at with suspicions of corruption.

My dad grew up in the Brentwood projects in Jacksonville, FL in the 40s and 50s. He was one of four brothers whose old man left them. The projects was a clean, safe, and affordable place for a needy family. He drove us by there years later with the doors locked and windows up. Crime and decay had taken over.

The government is some places is getting away from public housing. Instead, the people are paid to live in houses of various sizes and locations. My next door neighbor for example "qualified" for a bigger house after the birth of her 4th child. Lucky me, she moved next door. My former high end development has been ravaged by foreclosures and people bought them up and rented them to whoever calls on their government provided cell phone. What a country!!!

 

[Truthmatters]

where should the poor live if there is no place they can afford?

 

[editec]

The deal was forged in 2008 when a fledgling nonprofit group with political connections promised to turn distressed apartment complexes into badly needed homes for troubled young men.

Peaceoholics had never bought or repaired a building. It had never operated affordable housing. It had no construction money from private lenders and less than $27,000 cash on hand.

But the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development delivered $4.6 million to the organization so it could buy three apartment complexes and launch renovations. Then-Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) hailed the project as a way to help at-risk men transitioning out of foster care

The ill-fated project, which is now under council scrutiny, underscores the city’s years-long struggle to build and renovate housing for the poor. Time and again, the housing agency has poured millions in local and federal money into affordable housing projects that were delayed, over budget or riddled with undocumented costs.

The article is five pages. There are several other projects mentioned.

Hey - let's give the government mo' money. We need more to help the poor.

D.C. housing deal shows much spent but less accomplished - The Washington Post

An organization with no history of providing low income housing gets that much money?

SOMBODY is well connected, that's for damned sure.

Thanks for bringing this travesty of PORK to my attention, Chanel.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

where should the poor live if there is no place they can afford?

You should let them stay at your place.

 

[Grandma]

What crap you righties spew.

The government housing programs have a long history of corruption, a very long history. It's the easiest government program to defraud. Poor people can't get legal help so corrupt government officials and developers have no troubles with their nefarious schemes.

But you want to punish the poor for that? You lie that because someone is down on their luck it means they destroy their surroundings? You owe me an apology. You should apologise to everyone that reads your dishonest posts. The right tries to pass itself off as being religious, so why are you bearing false witness?

When the American steel industry collapsed I found myself without work in an area with 90% unemployment. I moved into the projects reluctantly. Out of 140 units there were 24 that the managers steered "suspect" tenants into. By suspect, it doesn't necessarily mean they were dirty and smashing the place up. Some were. Some were suspected of drug dealing (kind of stupid since all the area's junkies went to a certain homeowner in a quiet neighborhood nearby.) Some were suspected of welfare fraud. My math says that 17% were suspect, 83% okay. The 83% kept their apartments very tidy, picked up any litter outside, they behaved as well as any upscale homeowner. They weren't poor by choice.

I moved to a town where jobs were more plentiful. I had to live in the projects at first, and the ratio of dirtbags to good guys was about the same. Again, most of the poor were trying to make a better life for themselves and their families.

I now live in a neighborhood with owned homes, rented houses, rented duplexes, and section 8 duplexes. (I'm not poor anymore-yay!) The dirtbag ratio has dropped to 10% (this is just among the section 8 housing, meaning the other 90% of the poor in section 8 are okay.) The good guys take care of their rental units. They work shitty, bad-paying jobs, but that's all they can get. They don't call in sick and they try to pick up extra hours. Their kids go to the same school my kid goes to. Their kids are cheerleaders, outstanding athletes, gifted students, they take part in extracurricular activities, and the school system is excellent.

In other words, most of the poor are taking advantage of the chance to better themselves and their children's futures.


Now quit lying about poor people. Only those that are completely out of touch will believe your drivel.

 

[chanel]

No grannie. No one wants to punish the poor. But as you say, there is a long history of corruption. Hence, the system needs to be cleaned up before another cent is wasted.

It is a travesty of pork, as editec said.

The stimulus was a sausage factory. Day after day we have heard stories like this. Lefties say it's all part of the cost of doing business with the government. "Righties" are unwilling to hand over more money to thieves. They'd prefer if they just kept stealing within their means.

No one mentioned the dirtbag ratio except you. Interesting statistics though.

 

[editec]

I have no problem with government housing schemes if they work.

Sadly when there's big government money to be had some of it is going to be wasted on PORK.

The solution is to come down hard on those who engage in this travesty.

And THAT seldom happens.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Total public debt outstanding Jan. 30

15,356,140,000,000

 

[old navy]

Hello Grandma, I was just writing about my observations. I personally grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, a son of Appalachia, born to a 15 year old girl. My family has taken assistance when needed but used it to get ahead and then were done with it. I busted my ass to get where I am and expect others to do the same. My neighbor told me that she qualified for a larger house, from an apartment, after the birth of her fourth child. She's a crappy neighbor, shitty mother, and is abusing and defrauding the system. Pisses me off.