Oaklands Section 8 Kickback Investigation Re-Opened.

Oaklands Housing Authority
Re-Opens Investigation Into
Section 8 Kickback Scams.
By Lynda Carson

Oakland-According to Philip
Neville of the Oakland Housing Authority,as of Tuesday 12/19/00,the new Leased Housing Director
re-opened the investigation
into the Section 8 Kickback Scams in Oakland.Based upon newly obtained documents that reveal that
certain Section 8 Renters
had to make overpayments to avoid eviction,Joseph Villareal the Director of Leased Housing for the Oakland Housing Authority
has directed Philip Neville and Bert Thomas also of the OHA, to re-open and look into records that may reveal overpayments by tenants that were caught up into the so-called Section 8 Kickback Scams.
The investigation was re-opened because of newly obtained documents
submitted to them during this past week.The newly obtained documents are
Certifications that reveal that Section 8 Tenants
Patrick Mc Cammon and
Tangerine Smith have been
charged $600.00 per month
for rent payments.
Other documents reveal that the most that the Landlord was allowed to collect per month for the
rent of the unit Mr.McCammon resided in was a total of $532.00 per
month.This is solid evidence of a $68.00 overcharge per month that Mr.McCammon was forced to pay .Documents also reveal that $537.00 per month was the allowable rent to be collected for the unit that Ms.Smith resided in,even tho the Certification revealed that she was being charged $600.00 per month.That comes to a $63.00 overcharge per month that Ms.Smith was forced to pay to avoid eviction proceedings.
Upon hearing of these new developments, Mr.McCammon declared that he needs to speak to an attorney.
Unfortunately for myself,
I already faced retaliation for
revealing these rent scams,
got evicted in the courts and have until Febuary 28,2000,
to be out of here.
Oakland does not have a Just Cause Eviction
Ordinance in place,and landlords can evict with a 30 Day No Cause Eviction,that is almost impossible to beat in a court of law.For me,whatever turns out in the future with the re-opening of the Section 8
Kickback Scams,theres little to nothing that I can do to reverse the Order Of The Court to stop my eviction.
In January the Oakland City Council is scheduled to vote upon a Just Cause Evictions Measure,and if passed the renters of Oakland will have a much better chance to defend their rights from Landlords that now exploit the system,and Evict For Profit!