As California struggles with a crisis in affordable housing, state lawmakers are trying to improve a severe shortage of housing available to renters who have federal Section 8 vouchers.
The vouchers allow tenants to pay only 30% of their income toward rent, with federal assistance to pay the rest. But most landlords do not accept tenants who pay with vouchers, saying they are too burdensome.
…“It’s billed as a golden ticket,” said Alexander Harnden, a policy advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty. “At this point, I describe it as a ticket to last summer’s movie. If you can find where it’s playing, that’s great. Otherwise it’s just a piece of paper.”
