[Peace-discuss] Re: [cu_citizens] Questions about Section 8

[John W.]

At 11:10 AM 10/16/2007, Christopher Evans wrote:

>The key questions about Tonight's Section 8 vote:
>
>1) Where are Section 8 voucher holders supposed to live?
>2) Will this proposal reduce available low-income housing in Champaign?
>3) What educational steps has the City taken to educate landlords about 
>the Section 8 program?
>4) Why do landlords need the right to refuse Section 8 voucher holders?
>5) If the council votes to allow Section 8 discrimination, will the City 
>publish a directory of landlords who refuse to rent to Section 8 voucher 
>holders to aid Section 8 families in their search for housing?
>6) Does this ordinance tarnish the reputations of Section 8 holders and 
>thus make housing less available for Section 8 Voucher holders?

As one who has tried and failed to even get someone to TALK to me about 
GETTING ON THE LIST of qualified Section 8 recipients, it strikes me that 
our time might be better spent in exploring alternative ways of creating 
more affordable housing for the less affluent citizens of Champaign and 
Urbana.  I can (barely) imagine a society in which, instead of wrangling 
about niggling ways of legalizing ever greater discrimination, we all asked 
ourselves, "What can _I_ do, in partnership with others, to alleviate the 
shortage of affordable housing in my community?"  Habitat for Humanity is 
the right concept, but it's merely a drop in the ocean.

John Wason