[StBernard] New Orleans landlords unfairly deny housing to Section 8 voucher holders, group's report to show today

[Westley Annis]

Landlords are unfairly denying housing to people trying to use Section 8
vouchers <http://fhasecure.gov/progdesc/voucher.cfm>  in New Orleans, a
local nonprofit group will announce today. 

The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center
<http://www.gnofairhousing.org/index.html>  will announce the results of an
audit report on discrimination against Section 8 holders during a 10:30 a.m.
conference call. 

The report, titled "Housing Choice in Crisis," claims landlords are denying
Section 8 tenants at an "alarming rate." The group claims that more and more
people rely on the housing vouchers for assistance each day, and "the extent
to which voucher holders are able to use the vouchers to attain safe,
quality housing in high opportunity neighborhoods is an important
consideration."

James Perry <http://www.jamesperry2010.com/about/> , the group's director,
said in a statement that the voucher program is "a tool to promote economic
and racial integration by providing housing choice to people reliant on
housing assistance."

The report will show "important findings about the extremely high level of
discrimination that voucher holders face in the private market," he added.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++




I love this part: the voucher program is "a tool to promote economic and
racial integration by providing housing choice to people reliant on housing
assistance."

Geez I'm so confused.  I thought it was a program for people on the public
tit to have someone else (the govt.) pay the majority of their rent.  And I

can't wait to see his report, especially in light of the fact that no
landlord/property owner **has** to take section 8 renters.  But maybe in Mr.
Perry's world it's different.




JY