by Chrissa Olson
One third of Redondo Beach’s 633 Section 8 vouchers go unissued largely because landlords in the city refuse to accept Section 8 tenants, according to Redondo Beach Housing Supervisor Angelica Zavala.
Redondo Beach’s June Section 8 status report showed 1,192 families on the waitlist. Housing specialist Robin Flanagan said the Housing Authority issues vouchers to 50 people at a time to prevent oversaturating the rental market.
Of the 50 people issued Section 8 vouchers in February, only 14 found housing. Of the 50 who received vouchers in June, fewer than five were able to find housing, despite assistance from the Redondo Housing Authority, according to Zavala.
The Federal Section 8 voucher program covers the rent of very low income families or individuals after they pay no more than 30-40% of their income towards their rent.
Vouchers are valid for 180 days for families, elderly and disabled people, and 120 days for single people. Voucher recipients who fail to find housing must reapply. But the Redondo Housing Authority’s waiting list has been closed since 2015.
Though it is illegal to discriminate against Section 8 tenants, landlords commonly will not accept applications from Section 8 voucher holders, Zavala said.
The Redondo Beach Housing Authority does not have the authority to pursue legal action against landlords who discriminate against Section 8 tenants.
“It’s very frustrating,” Zavala said. “We want to house these families, we want to reach our numbers. We take pride in the work we do, and we feel helpless because we feel we do as much as we can, yet at the end of the day, it doesn’t depend on us.”
Zavala, who started her career in housing with Los Angeles County, said getting people housed in Redondo Beach is more difficult than any other place she’s worked. Flanagan noted that the high demand for local housing encourages landlords to pick tenants who look “better on paper” than Section 8 voucher holders.
The Redondo Housing Authority has teamed up with the Housing Rights Center to identify landlords who reject Section 8 applicants.
“We want to be educational, not punitive,” Flanagan said. “We give them the positives of the program. We’re not in a position to penalize them. Ultimately it’s up to them, they’re the owners of the buildings. They get to choose the tenants.”
Vicki Callahan, a landlord, and member of the Redondo Harbor Commission, rents to Section 8 tenants, but said market rate housing often exceeds Section 8 voucher limits.
Section 8 vouchers for a one bedroom apartment may not cover more than $2,271 in South Redondo (90277), or $2,100 in North Redondo (90278) after tenants pay their share of the rent, according to the City website.
Zillow shows the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $2,671 in South Redondo and $2,125 in North Redondo. All other apartments, from studios to 4 bedrooms, also exceed Section 8 payment standards.
Karen Himes, who’s been living in Redondo since she was a child, finds comfort in residing where she grew up. Her Section 8 voucher helps “a lot” financially. But she recalls the difficulty of having landlords shut her out when they found out she had a voucher.
Callahan, and fellow landlord Denise Scarpetti complimented the Housing Authority on its quick response time, and customer service.
Working with one Section 8 tenant, and having a good experience makes landlords more likely to accept Section 8 tenants in the future, Zavala said. And despite the high-price housing market, her office does find successes — recently, they placed an unhoused mother and her two children in a furnished home with a Section 8 voucher.
“Now, when I have a vacancy, I reach out to Section 8 first,” Scarpetti said. “I tell Robin I have a vacancy and my price range. I ask, ‘Do you have candidates who’d be a good fit?’” ER
