Thirty thousand people showed up outside of Atlanta in search of Section 8 housing vouchers last week; 62 vouchers were available. It’s a powerful reminder that the recession is not over.Thirty-thousand people showed up outside of Atlanta in search of Section 8 housing vouchers last week; 62 vouchers were available. To qualify for the vouchers, a family’s income is not to exceed 50 percent of the area’s median income. That median income for the surrounding area? Just over $31,000 a year.
The recession, it hardly needs restating, is far from over. The unemployed and working poor are still struggling to survive, and the weight of the housing bubble’s collapse has left more people than ever desperate for housing even as new construction sits vacant, with no one able to buy. Kai Wright, Nation contributor and editor of ColorLines, and Tony Romano of the Right to the City alliance in Atlanta join Esther Armah to discuss.
