By Megan Burks
San Diegans who receive rental assistance are having a harder time finding landlords willing to accept their Section 8 vouchers.
San Diego Housing Commission Vice President Jeff Davis said the house hunt for Section 8 tenants has stretched from about 30 days to 45.
The vacancy rate for rentals in the county was down to 2.3 percent last quarter, and that means stiff competition from other renters.
“With the tightening of the rental market, owners can be more picky,” Davis said. “While we feel we’ve built a very streamlined program that really is as easy as it can be, it has a little extra paperwork for the owners. Oftentimes they will decide that they don’t need to go through that because they’ve got other people lined up to rent the unit.”
Section 8 units also need inspections. The federal program allows tenants to pay a portion of their rent and the Housing Commission covers the rest.
Davis is urging more property owners to participate in the program.
“By having more owners willing to rent to our folks, they get more choice,” Davis said. “They get to pick, perhaps, better neighborhoods for their families or units that are more suitable for their families.”
The commission started advertising earlier this year to boost its landlord ranks.