Housing for Low Income Seniors and Homeless

I have watched this project unfolding over the years and I am thrilled it has finally opened-there are 40 units, 32 for Seniors and 8 for homeless families/individuals.

What great timing given how hard everyone across the country has been hit...
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1264111&srvc=rss

OK, I have to put in my :twocents: Please don't get me wrong..I am happy these seniors will not be homeless and living on the streets BUT my parents also live in an apartment complex for seniors. My dad has been working since he was 9 years old selling newspapers on the street corner to help support his mother and 4 sisters. When we were kids he sometimes worked 3 jobs so we never knew hunger. He pays $1570.00 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment where he lives here in California. There are seniors who are on section 8 who only have to pay $280.00 for a one bedroom and $380.00 for a 2 bedroom in the same apartments. They go on all the Casino excursions, play BINGO twice a week with all the other residents and even play poker in the clubhouse. Tell me how this is fair!

DollyPardonMe said:

OK, I have to put in my :twocents: Please don't get me wrong..I am happy these seniors will not be homeless and living on the streets BUT my parents also live in an apartment complex for seniors. My dad has been working since he was 9 years old selling newspapers on the street corner to help support his mother and 4 sisters. When we were kids he sometimes worked 3 jobs so we never knew hunger. He pays $1570.00 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment where he lives here in California. There are seniors who are on section 8 who only have to pay $280.00 for a one bedroom and $380.00 for a 2 bedroom in the same apartments. They go on all the Casino excursions, play BINGO twice a week with all the other residents and even play poker in the clubhouse. Tell me how this is fair!

Click to expand...

Is his income, retirement or social security too much to allow him to qualify for section 8 housing?

DollyPardonMe said:

OK, I have to put in my :twocents: Please don't get me wrong..I am happy these seniors will not be homeless and living on the streets BUT my parents also live in an apartment complex for seniors. My dad has been working since he was 9 years old selling newspapers on the street corner to help support his mother and 4 sisters. When we were kids he sometimes worked 3 jobs so we never knew hunger. He pays $1570.00 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment where he lives here in California. There are seniors who are on section 8 who only have to pay $280.00 for a one bedroom and $380.00 for a 2 bedroom in the same apartments. They go on all the Casino excursions, play BINGO twice a week with all the other residents and even play poker in the clubhouse. Tell me how this is fair!

Click to expand...

Other side of the coin. My grandmother also worked from a young age. Her husband spent most of her childrens lives in prison. Grandma hurt herself at work falling over a box in the storage area and was promptly fired long before workmans comp for legitimate cases was heard of. My mother dropped out of HS to care for her siblings. My grandmother spent the last of her years on public assistance and rightfully needed it. If she had played penny or nickel slots, or bingo for a few dollars should she have been denied the opportunity to find some social enjoyment in the last years of her life?

Why is it that it is an automatic assumption anyone receiving government assistance is a scam artist?

On the other hand, how many seniors put their homes and half million or better assets in trust while they are able bodied and later in life their adult children reside in that same home and still pay senior property taxes while the govenment spends 8 to 10 thousand a month or better to care for these same seniors in nursing homes? How is that fair?

JMO