CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some Charlotte renters who use Section 8 housing vouchers to keep a roof over their heads are struggling to find landlords who will accept them.
“It’s heartbreaking, but unfortunately way too common," Cheron Porter, the senior vice president of corporate communications for Inlivian, said.
Inlivian is a nonprofit real estate holding company that administers the Housing Choice Voucher Program for the Charlotte region. It works with 1,350 landlords, but it's not enough.
Ultimately, the problem lies with the number of landlords who turn down Section 8 vouchers. Porter says it's a form of income discrimination.
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“They feel as though there are negative connotations of families who need help, but the reality is everyone has needed help [at] some time," Porter said.
To tackle the problem, they're helping put laws in place to protect renters whose form of payment is from the federal government.
“We’re working with legislators to change the laws," Porter said. "We recently had a win where developers who accept public dollars must accept vouchers, that’s a win for us.”
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.
It's a win, but to conquer the problem, more work needs to be done. Another thing to keep in mind is that Section 8 vouchers come with strings attached that require extra paperwork.
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Porter acknowledges that landlords have the right to run their business the way they want to, but says part of income discrimination is the conversation around it. She said the people who use housing vouchers are teachers, seniors who want to maintain their independence, or veterans who can't go into the workforce just yet.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions producing I Can’t Afford to Live Here, a collaborative reporting project focused on solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Charlotte. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.