I'm on section 8. That means that the government pays a huge chunk of my rent each month. It's a super exclusive program that's really hard to get signed up with, as you could imagine.

In my county, Multnomah County, the waiting list works like a lottery. So you might be on the list a year or two to get on the list. After waiting a couple years, you might not get on at all.

The line is usually blocks long to apply.

So it's a big deal. Now here's the funny part though. Section 8 pays 'Market Rent'. Usually they pay more than the average person would pay. They aren't allowed to effect the market, so their rents have to stay right there within market.

If Section 8 paid way more than market, the theory is that people would just rent to us section 8'ers and charge more, therefor forcing the market rent up.. and making the average joe pay more for housing.

If Section 8 paid less, the idea is that landlords working with section 8 are forced to lower their rents.

But Section 8 has an old stigma. When people first started learning about the housing voucher program there was a lot to protect tenants involved, and not so much to protect landlords.

Landlords didn't look into the pasts of their tenants, they took inadequate deposits.. and here's the biggest peice..

Most section 8ers lived in low income neighbors in apartments that accepted section 8.

The mentality in that kind of place is so different!

So section 8 got a bad name.

Now we have this program, in the midst of a recession that sends the landlord the majority of the rent on the 2nd of every month, never ever late..

Section 8 also inspects the property annually to ensure that maintenance is kept up to date, and that the tenant is acting responsibly and respectably toward your property.

What's more is the tenant's underwent a background check to even get on section 8. :O There's a bit of a money saver for ya. If they've ever sold drugs, or used drugs in public housing, or committed any number of other crimes that are often red flags for bad renters, they flat out don't qualify for the program.

Section 8 tenants are long term tenants.

When a person on section 8 in Multnomah county moves, we have to sign a one year lease. It's also no easy feat for us getting moved. We have to put in a thirty day notice to even start the process of getting a new rent voucher for a new house. Then we have to take some classes about moving and moving a voucher.

Then there's inspections, houses have to b e livable, and the rent has to be approved. To do all of this in a timely manner that doesn't scare off all prospective landlords, we have to give our thirty day notice to our old landlord before we even find a place to rent.

That's right, no skipping out on you, we have to give notice or we don't get to move. Plenty of notice.

So here's the amazing thing... right here in the midst of a recession, I still see 'no section 8' listed in rental adds.