TONIGHT NEWS FOR
INVESTIGATES A LOCAL FAMILY
AMONG THOUSANDS NATIONWIDE
WAITING TO KNOW THAT THEY WILL
BE KICKED OUT OF HUD HOUSING.
THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING
AND DEVELOPMENT IS CONSIDERING
CREATING A NEW RULE TO EVICT
TENANTS THAT MAKE TOO MUCH
MONEY.
THE FEDERAL AUDIT COULD
EXPOSE PEOPLE AND PEOPLE
ABUSING THE SYSTEM.
-- WHAT'S MORE IS ITS CLOGGING
THE SYSTEM FOR OTHER FAMILIES
IN NEED.
OUR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
REPORTS TO SEE WHAT IT MEANS.
THEY COME IN THE REPORT
PROVES THE LACK OF A RULE MAY
NOT VIOLATE THE LAW BUT IT
CERTAINLY VIOLATES COMMON
SENSE.
NOW THEY'RE PROPOSING A
REWRITE.
WE INITIALLY WENT TO
INVESTIGATE LOCAL FAMILIES
POSSIBLY ABUSING THE SYSTEM BUT
WHAT WE FOUND IS, THE ANSWER IS
NOT THAT SIMPLE.
THERE ARE FAMILIES WHO ARE OVER
INCOME LOCALLY BUT ARE THEY
WASTING TAXPAYER MONEY?
OR IS IT NOT THAT CUT AND DRY?
19-YEAR-OLD NATHANIEL LIVES IN
PUBLIC HOUSING IN JACKSONVILLE
BEACH.WALKING TO WORK EVERY
DAY TO HELP SUPPORT HIS MOTHER
AND TWO YOUNGER SISTERS.
ANYBODY ABUSING THE SYSTEM
IS JUST CHEAP.
'SHOUSEHOLD WAS INCLUDED IN
THE MORE THAN 25,000 FAMILIES
LISTED IN THE FEDERAL REPORT.
EXPOSING FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN
PUBLIC HOUSING BUT ARE OVER
INCOME.
THAT MEANS YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE
PAYING PARTIAL RENT FOR PEOPLE
WHO MAKE MORE THAN THE LOW
INCOME THRESHOLD.
NEWS FOR FOUND THAT THAT INCOME
LIMIT IS A VARIABLE.
BASED ON FAMILY SIZE AND COST
OF LIVING CHANGING FROM CITY TO
CITY THIS REPORT FROM THE
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
POINTS OUT SOME SHOCKING CASES
OF ABUSE OF THE HUD SYSTEM.
INCLUDING FAMILIES MAKING
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS OR WITH NEARLY 1
MILLION IN ASSETS BUT LIVING IN
TAXPAYER-FUNDED PUBLIC HOUSING.
THE REASON THIS REPORT FOUND IS
THERE ARE NO RULES TO FORCE HIS
FAMILIES OUT AFTER THEY BEGIN
MAKING MORE MONEY.
WE FOUND FLORIDA RANKED 19TH IN
THE NATION FOR OVER INCOME.
WITH 297 FAMILIES MAKING MORE
THAN THE THRESHOLD.
GEORGIA RANKED EVEN HIGHER AT
EIGHT WITH 666 FAMILIES LISTED
AS OVER RENT INCOME.
WE WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE ARE
FAMILIES ABUSING THE SYSTEM
HERE IN JACKSONVILLE.
WE LEARNED THAT THE FAMILY IS
CONSIDERED OVER INCOME ON THE
FIRST -- ON THE COAST WERE
NOTHING LIKE THE EXTREME CASES.
NEWS 4 JAX WENT TO NATHANIEL'S
HOUSE AFTER WE UNCOVERED THERE
ONE OF THE HIGHEST OVER INCOME
FAMILIES AND ALL OF THE COUNTY.
I GIVE ABOUT HALF OF MY
PAYCHECK TO THE HOUSE BUT THE
OTHER HALF I'M USING FOR FOOD.
LIKE, IT IS A LOT MORE
DIFFICULT THAN WHAT IS ON
PAPER.
EVEN AT 19 YEARS OLD HE
UNDERSTANDS WHAT THIS REPORT
MAY LOOK LIKE.
IT LOOKS AT TO WHERE YOU
MAY THINK ARE WE ABUSING THE
SYSTEM?
YOU KNOW WE ARE NOT BECAUSE
THERE ARE GRAY AREAS.
LET'S PUT DOWN THE NUMBERS
FOR YOU.
THE THING IS NOT RECENTLY WENT
TO WORK WHEN HIS DAD LEFT THE
FAMILY.
SHE MAKES APPROXIMATELY $26,500
A YEAR.
JESSICA'S CHILD SUPPORT FOR TWO
TEENAGE SISTERS PLUS ALIMONY
BOTH OF THOSE CHECK CHECKS
COMING IN OVER $14,000.
THE DANIEL MAKES JUST UNDER
$18,000 ANNUALLY PUTTING THE
FAMILY INCOME AT $73,200.
BELOW INCOME THRESHOLD FOR A
FOUR-PERSON HOUSEHOLD INTO BALL
COUNTY.
IT IS $50,650.
SO ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL
REPORT HIS FAMILY OVER INCOME
BY $22,500 BUT THE JACKSONVILLE
HOUSING AUTHORITY SAYS, NOT SO
FAST.
THE FEDERAL REPORT MISSED A KEY
HUD POLICY.
THAT MEANS WHEN YOU GO BACK TO
WORK, YOUR INCOME IS NOT
COUNTED FULLY UNTIL YOUR THIRD
YEAR.
SO NATHANIEL'S MOM'S INCOME IS
ONLY REGISTERED AS HALF OF
THAT.
SO THAT IS $13,250.
PLUS CONSIDER, HIS SISTERS ARE
TEENAGERS SO SHE WILL NOT BE
CORRECT COLLECTING CHILD
SUPPORT FOREVER AND THE ALIMONY
WILL ALSO GO AWAY.
AND IF NATHANIEL EVER MOVES
OUT, SHE IS BACK TO MAKING WELL
IN THE LOW INCOME THRESHOLD
READ.
IT IS NOT BY ANY MEANS
AFFORDABLE FOR US SO, THERE IS
LIKE NO WAY, NO WAY WE WOULD BE
ABLE TO CARRY ON AND DO WHAT WE
NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO SURVIVE.
NEWS 4 JAX FOUND THAT THERE
ARE CURRENTLY 7000 FAMILIES IN
THE WAITING LIST FOR PUBLIC
HOUSING IN JACKSONVILLE.
THE NATIONAL REPORT CITED 19
FAMILIES IS OVER INCOME AND DO
WELL KATHY.
WE TOOK THOSE FINDINGS TO THE
HEAD OF THE JACKSONVILLE
HOUSING AUTHORITY FRED
McKINNEY.
WE ENCOURAGE OUR FAMILIES TO
MOVE UP AND OUT WHEN THEY
BECOME ECONOMICALLY STABLE AND
MOVE UP ECONOMICALLY.
WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO.
THE KINNEY DISPUTE THE
NATIONAL REPORT SAYING THERE
ARE CURRENTLY FIVE FAMILIES
CONSIDERED OVER INCOME INTO
BALL COUNTY.
AND McKINNEY HAS NO AUTHORITY
TO FORCE THESE FAMILIES TO MOVE
IN ON.
WHICH HE HAS ALWAYS VIEWED AS A
POSITIVE.
I THINK THE RULE IS THERE
FOR A GREAT PURPOSE AND A GREAT
INTENT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO
CONTINUE TO WORK AND MOVE UP
ECONOMICALLY BUT, AS YOU HAVE
SEEN AROUND THE COUNTRY IN SOME
AREAS IT HAS BEEN ABUSED.
THE REPORT HAS HAD
LISTENING.
IT IS ALREADY PROPOSED A
NATIONAL RULE CHANGE.
McKINNEY SAYS THE PROBLEM IS A
STRICT RULE THAT MAYBE
BACKFIRE.
AND PEOPLE MAY NOT WORK AT ALL
AND ADVANCE THEIR CAREER PATH
BUT NOT NOT NATHANIEL.
HE IS DREAMING OF THE DAY HE IS
ON HIS OWN AND OUT OF THE
SYSTEM.
IT IS NOT A MATTER OF WHEN
WE CAN.
IF IT IS DONE PREMATURELY IT
WILL NOT HELP US.
HEAD IS TAKING PUBLIC
COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED RULE
CHANGE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GO I HAVE
POSTED A LINK ON OUR WEBSITE
www.NEWS4JAX.com AND YOU'LL
FIND THE STORY UNDER OUR
INVESTIGATIVE TAB ERIE IS ALSO
POSTED IN THE EXTREME EXAMPLES
IN THE REPORT AND THERE ARE
OTHER LOCAL AREAS CITED FOR
OVER INCOME THERE TENANTS.
I CALLED ALL OF THEM AND THEY
ARE ALL SAYING THAT THE SAME AS
I JACKSONVILLE.
THERE IS A GRAY AREA TO MAKING
MORE AND HOPEFULLY GET OUT OF
THE SYSTEM ALTOGETHER.
IF THE OVER INCOME FAMILIES
WERE TO GET OUT A PUBLIC
HOUSING, HOW MUCH WOULD IT HELP
OTHER FAMILIES GET INTO PUBLIC
HOUSING?
IT IS SO COMPLEX, THE
ANSWER WAS IT REALLY DID NOT
MAKE THAT MUCH OF A DENT.
THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE 7000
FAMILIES CURRENTLY ON THE
PUBLIC HOUSING WAITING LIST IN
JACKSONVILLE.
THAT DOESN'T NOT EVEN INCLUDE
THE SECTION 8 VOUCHER PROGRAM.
THAT IS OPEN FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN FIVE YEARS THIS THURSDAY.
AND ALREADY THEY TELL ME THEY
EXPECT ANOTHER 8 TO 10,000
PEOPLE AT THE GROUND TO GET THE
NAME OF THAT REPORT.
SO THERE ARE FIVE FAMILIES OVER
INCOME AND THAT IS THE GRAY
AREA ANYWAY.
AGAIN NOT MUCH OF AN IMPACT.
I AM STRUCK BY NATHANIEL'S
COURAGE AND TALKING TO YOU AND
NOT CLOSING THE DOOR IN YOUR
FACE.
IT IS HE WOULD BE FACED WITH
THE FEARS THAT HIS FAMILY COULD
USE HIS HOUSE, HIS HOME THAT
THEY SO DESPERATELY NEED?
WE WERE SURPRISED AS WELL.
YOU KNOW THERE WAS AN ISSUE
PROBABLY TOOK AWAY YOUR INCOME
AND YOUR HOME AND WE WERE SO
BLOWN AWAY BY HIS CANDOR TO
TALK ABOUT HIS FAMILY.
YOU COULD TELL HIS LIFE
EXPERIENCE HAS EARLY AGE AND
WELL BEYOND HIS 19 YEARS.
ABOUT ALL THE UNEXPECTED
EXPENSES THAT HAPPEN TO ALL OF
US AND HOW THAT REALLY SET THEM
BACK OR HOUSE SISTERS PRACTICE.
WITH ALL DISTRICT CUTBACKS, HIS
SISTER NEEDED MONEY FOR ART
SUPPLIES AND IT WAS REALLY
HARDSHIP FOR THE MOTHER BECAUSE
THAT WAS NOT IN THE BUDGET.
$70 A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT THINK
AS IT AN ANNOYANCE OR -- TO HIS
FAMILY IS A SETBACK THAT MONTH.
AND IT SHOWS YOU OVER INCOME,
IT REALLY IS AGAIN A GRAY AREA.
HE MET HE TELLS WHERE HE IS
WORKING?