Rumors and trash talk | There’s a post at a local facebook site that is loaded with inaccurate opinions. Here’s documentation to correct some of the commentary.

Section 8 Properties | To clarify, the term Section 8 is not a correct term. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a Housing Choice Voucher Program. It used to be known as section 8; in Lancaster County. 

“The housing choice voucher program is the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments.

“The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects.

“Housing choice vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies (PHAs). The PHAs receive federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer the voucher program.”

Once known as section 8; in Lancaster County:

“The Lancaster County Housing Authority administers the Housing Choice Voucher (“Section 8”) rental assistance program in Lancaster County, outside the Lancaster City limits. Under the program, income-eligible tenants pay a minimum of thirty percent (30%) of their monthly incomes for rent and utilities and the Lancaster County Housing Authority pays the remaining portion of the rent.”

Properties, no; people, yes. | People are awarded housing choice vouchers predicated on their acceptance under the program; properties are not. To say say section 8 properties is a gross exaggeration. And not true.

Section 8 living in a motel | According to a source at the Lancaster County Housing Authority, that’s not true. Housing choice vouchers normally are not granted to stay in a hotel.

Rumors and facts | Despite the comments about ” … families who sit around the house all day and never worked a day in their livez and recieve 6 to 7 hundred dollars in food stamps,” Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services applies the same assistance programs for all qualifying Pennsylvanians. Can a family receive up to $768 a month? Yes, if there are five persons in the family. If there are two persons in the family, the monthly number is $355. Here are the specifics for Pennsylvania’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Definition(s) of homelessness | Various entities define homelessness in different ways; HUD, though, defines the word in these ways.