Several weeks ago, a woman contacted the Ombudsman because her home has no heat. The woman resides in a Section 8 property.
Section 8 is a federally funded rental assistance program that pays private landlords the difference between what a low-income household can contribute and the fair market rent. People who qualify for this program, and can find a cooperating landlord, are fortunate.
The tenants pay 30% of their monthly income for rent, and the Housing and Urban Development agency, through Greater Dayton Premier Management, pays the remainder. The program is administered locally by Public Housing Authorities, in our case the Greater Dayton Premier Management.
The Ombudsman contacted GDPM on the woman’s behalf. A helpful staff person arranged an inspection within two days, and within a week we received notification that the home failed the inspection, and the landlord was given 15 days to repair the furnace. In the meantime, the woman’s son took her to his apartment temporarily while his mother was without heat.
The inspection process, which is required for continued rental payments, is an important check in helping to keep properties maintained and livable. We followed the progress of the repairs and called to follow-up with the woman.
The repairs were completed, and the heat in the home restored.
The ombudsman column is a production of the Joint Office of Citizens’ Complaints. It summarizes selected problems that citizens have had with government services, schools and nursing homes in the Dayton area. Contact the ombudsman at 11 W. Monument Ave., Suite 606, Dayton, OH 45402; 937-223-4613 or ombudsman@dayton-ombudsman.org.
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