On paper, the Housing Choice Voucher program (better known as Section 8) is one of the most promising tools we have to make housing more accessible. But in practice? It’s one of the most dysfunctional government programs in the rental housing industry—and landlords are walking away in droves.
In this week’s PMAssist Insider article, Todd Ortscheid breaks down:
Why Section 8 fails at its own mission
The real-world headaches landlords face when participating
A serious proposal to fix the program—without sacrificing landlord rights or property performance
This isn’t about politics. It’s about policy that works. And right now, Section 8 doesn’t.
❌ The Core Problem: Execution, Not Intention
Millions of tenants need help. Landlords are willing to provide housing. But red tape, delays, low rents, endless inspections, and loss of control over lease enforcement make participation deeply unattractive.
The result? Tenants wait years for vouchers… and often lose them simply because they can’t find a landlord willing to accept.
🔍 What Needs to Change
Here are just a few of Todd’s proposed fixes:
Eliminate the heavy-handed HAP agreement that overrides your lease
Remove redundant inspections and rent caps managed by unlicensed case workers
Guarantee fast approvals and restore true program voluntariness
Expand funding to meet the growing housing affordability crisis
🤝 A New Kind of Partnership
This post isn’t just a critique—it’s a roadmap for restoring trust between housing providers and public agencies. If policymakers want landlords to participate, they need to start treating them like partners, not adversaries.
📖 Read the full breakdown and policy proposal on Substack:
👉 pmassist.substack.com
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