Odd public housing rule that makes 3 people share one bedroom

I am not sure where to put this. I orginally put this in yahoo answers but got more judgements than helpful insights. It seems the people on yahoo answers are ignorant and lack the insight to truly understand.
I have searched on the internet for public housing rules. My friend is on unemployment and has a child under 3. She also has a finace who is disabled. She went in to apply for public housing and came up on the list very quickly. She listed every person in her household.
She goes in for her screening and learns she is only eligble for a one bedroom apartment. Her child is a foster child and must have her own bedroom. She is working to adopt her.
Her finace is an orthodox jew and does not believe in prematrial relations. He also does not believe in sharing a room with her until they are married. They asked for a three bedroom but get a one bedroom.
So she talks to someone there and they start asking her about very personal questions. They siad if they consider two unrelated adults a couple then they have to share the same room. They also do not give a child under 3 their own bedroom.
If I am correct three people can not occupy one bedroom. Of course she is still taking the one bedroom apartment but the front room will become her finace's bedroom.
They have to live together due to financal situation. Is there really such a lack of affordable housing that 3 people have to stay in one bedroom?
Why are public housing rules so hard to find until you go to the screening? Why doesn't the government build more public housing?
I am trying to find the information for her but I have to came too many dead ends.
Isn't this is a voliation of his religous rights?
I know the children's divsion for the child while take the child away if they find out about the situation. Everywhere they live they must have a home visit.
She explained the rules upfront with public housing and they said they deal with foster parent's all the time. Why don't these two agencies work together to make sure the family has sufficent housing?

I always thought there were zoimg laws that must be followed. I am searching now but coming up empty. I have tried to look rules or laws online before but have a hard time.
I know this is not a very exciting post but I really feel that many on ATS would be helpful than judgemental.
I trust my own judgement but I always like to have a second opionin. It almost seems like the government has in built laws that just don't make any sense.

[edit on 9-6-2010 by dreamseeker]

I hate to sound callous, but there are many hard working people that would like to have an extra bedroom or two, but do not get that extra bedroom because they cannot afford it. When you are on the dole, you take what you can get. You cannot ask for a mansion.

I can see why she may want an extra bedroom for her foster child, but a third bedroom for the fiancee? If this fellow has some sort of religious hangup, he should rent his own place with his own money. He should not ask the taxpayers to subsidize his religious beliefs.

Originally posted by dreamseeker
I always thought there were zoimg laws that must be followed. I am searching now but coming up empty. I have tried to look rules or laws online before but have a hard time.
I know this is not a very exciting post but I really feel that many on ATS would be helpful than judgemental.
I trust my own judgement but I always like to have a second opionin. It almost seems like the government has in built laws that just don't make any sense.

[edit on 9-6-2010 by dreamseeker]

We in California have a strict state limit of about 30 people per house.

[edit on 9-6-2010 by RRokkyy]

If you are in the UK then you should check out this website www.crisis.org.uk...

It's a UK wide group called 'smart move' they help people on benefits find suitable accomadation, there is lots of helpfull links and information on renting properties from the private sector if you are in receipt of housing benefits and unemployed,

I feel bad for your friend it doesnt sound fair. Hopefully that site helps a little, assuming you are in the UK.

Edit to add : Im also trying to find a suitable place to move to and its hard when you are unemployed, the choice of places for me are not very good to say the least and every landlord I phone seems to all want really high deposits which i cant afford

[edit on 9-6-2010 by Lady_Tuatha]

hotpinkurinalmint

That sounds really judgemental. He is on disablity. He has a bad back; can't work and needs a lot of sugery. He only gets $700 per month for disablity she gets unemployment.
They do not have enough money to get a market rate apartment to accomandate everyone. She never asked for a mansion; she just wanted at least a 3 bedroom apartment that is a far cry from a mansion.
THey are not asking for the tax payers help at all. They still have to pay 30% of their income which is $500 per month. How is it fair that she pays $500 yet only gets a 600 sq foot apartment! She could get that at market rate!
This is a not third world country where everyone lives in one room. I really did mot expect this coming from anyone on here. That is why I stopped checking yahoo answers.
Everyone falls on hard times and no one should be judged.
If she gets a 3 bedroom market rate apartment it would cost her $800-$900 per month that is more than 30% of her income.
Please only helpful information; no judgements please.

He could get his own place. (the finace but he needs a lot of surgery so it will be hard for him to manage on his own.)

[edit on 9-6-2010 by dreamseeker]

[edit on 9-6-2010 by dreamseeker]

reply to post by Lady_Tuatha


She lives in the United States in kansas city missouri. Thanks for posting that info this was more along the lines of what I was looking for.

Where I live, a friend was "investigated" by the DCFS for whatever reason. I can't remember what her living situation at the time was, but she was told she would have to move if she wanted to keep her children. She was told she need seperate rooms for her older children, a boy and a girl if they were of the same sex they could share a room but otherwise they needed seperate rooms. But she wouldn't need a seperate room for her under 2 year old child.

So she needed a 3 bedroom house for her situation.

I don't know the housing laws or whatever laws it would be so I don't know if what she was forced to do was a part of a law, or a overzealous case worker.

Having grown up in the DCFS system I can say there are plenty of those.

The orthodox jew is letting his whacky religious beliefs get in the way, and the state certainly has no obligation to cater to him.

It isnt burger king, and he definitely cant have it his way.

reply to post by brainwrek


That sounds like an anti-semtic comment.
He is very serious about his beliefs as I am sure you are.
How is that catering to him by giving him a bedroom in public housing? Besides she is willing to compromise and get a 2 bedroom for the child. He has always stated that he will sleep in the front room until they are married which is soon. They will simply put his bed in the front room. I gave them the suggestion of making it into a seating area by day and at night a bed.
Now children can share a bedroom if they are the same gender. Children should never share a bedroom with an adult for heaven's sake! When they do marry imagine how many tramuatizing "I accidently saw my parent's doing it" will have.

In my state, they will provide up to $500.00 for section eight housing. The number of rooms do not matter. Anything above $500.00 comes out your pocket. This is for a single person.

reply to post by brilab45


So does that mean that they allow each person to have their own bedroom if it falls within the limit?
I wander if they need to chose a different place? There are not many public housing choses in this area. Thank you for mentioning that because it gave me a new line of thinking to help them by locating a different complex or asking what the limit is for public housing.
I am sure it is more than $500 but that is a question I willl have my friend ask the housing authority.

reply to post by dreamseeker


Not anti semitic at all, I would say the same for any person whining about not getting what they want due to their religious beliefs.

If they want more rooms, they always have the option of getting additional employment and coughing up the cost out of their own pocket.

Complaining that they arent getting what they want when they are being subsidized by the taxpayers takes alot of nerve.


Considering its unconstitutional in the first place, they should be happy with getting anything and shut up.

reply to post by brainwrek


Boy you sure are judgemental. He has a bad back that is why he is on DISABLITY. He needs sugery for it and he could be in a wheel chair. He paid into the system all his life for heaven's sake!
My friend got laid from a job she thought was secure and she worked for years.
Have you forgotten what the recession has done to people?
If you nothing postive to say then why say it?Besides have you seen housing prices lately. Maybe you don't live in the United States but there are 0 3 bedroom apartments for $500 unless you want to live in a bad area!


[edit on 9-6-2010 by dreamseeker]

reply to post by dreamseeker


Perhaps they should forego the adoption process then since they cant take care of their foster child. Its a rough decision, but relyong on the taxpayers to subsidize their choices is the wrong way to go about things.

He has a bad back, so he is incapable of any and all employment? He cant sit up and do data entry?

he cant sit on a stool and be a greeter at walmart?

Perhaps the female should seek a 2nd job even at minimum wage, it would help. Taking on an additional mouth to feed if they are that bad off is a very irresponsible choice.

If they want a 3 bedroom that bad, then the "bad area" is their only choice. Asking the taxpayers to foot the bill is absolute BS.

[edit on 9-6-2010 by brainwrek]

reply to post by brainwrek


By the way how is it uncontitutional to have affordable housing? This is really the way it should be. Housing should be based on people's income not the other way around.
No one should pay over 30% of their income for housing. Call me whatever you like socialist,communist. Believe me I have heard it before.
I believe in low prices and higher wages or at least a balance.
She would have to make at least 2100 to rent an apartment for $700 per month. How is that fair? They only make 1500 per month combined.

500 bucks for a 600 Sq Ft apartment? Sounds about right. I paid 600 for a 725 Sq ft 1 bedroom apartment. Unfortunately, they're just going to have to take what they get. 3 people in one room is not unheard of, nor asking to much of them. Interesting "family" unit they have as well, not married with a foster child. Now is this foster child from the state or from a family member? If the state, who approved that? They really would need to re-evaluate her situation. One would think that you wouldn't want to try and adopt unless you could afford to do so.

edit to post above: They only make 1500 per month combined.

I call BS on this one, my wife was out of work for over 2 years. Yet somehow I managed to get a nice 950 Sq Ft apartment in a very nice part of town, making only 1700 a month. Wanna know how I did that? No TV, no cell phones, no new cars, no credit card debt, no car payment etc. It can be done, live within your means. Sorry to say but no sympathy here.

[edit on 6/9/10 by Hypntick]

Just a guess here, but maybe because of the recession there is a drastic shortage of larger homes available to people on unemployment and disability. I know that here in the UK I have been on a waiting list for two years with my partner, (I am currently unemployed, he is not), and we are only entitled to one bedroom even though we aren't married. I don't think religion enters into it for the most part when it comes to decision making.

I'd be grateful to be offered a place at all.

As for having a child in the same bedroom, sometimes it does happen. I'm making another guess in that it would be a temporary solution on the part of housing officials until the child is old enough to meet the age requirementts for their own bedroom.

Unfortunately life isn't ideal these days, but I hope your friend gets an extra bedroom at least.

I agree there are strange rules in any type of welfare.

I am chiming in to give an opinion regarding the 3 yr old. No child welfare agency will remove a child of three for sharing a bedroom with parents. My own kids shared family bed for years, it is part of attachment parenting.

If it is that big of a deal, I would suggest finding housing elsewhere.

I do not think our government needs more public housing, they need to help create jobs so people dont need welfare.

reply to post by dreamseeker


Then why dont you open your own business and pay people what you consider to be a "fair wage" so that they can afford whatever house they want?

Better yet, why dont you completely fund the construction of a new building, and charge people what they can afford. See how long you make it until you too end up in bankruptcy court.

It's unconstitutional because nothing in the Constitution authorizes public money to be spent on subsidizing peoples lifestyles in the name of social assistance programs.

[edit on 9-6-2010 by brainwrek]