Section 8 flaws no excuse to burn renters

When we put a spotlight on shameful conditions in taxpayer-subsidized low-income housing in the area, the intent was to help make a better life for those community members who were suffering from living in substandard housing.

Now, it seems that our story is being used as justification to undermine the entire notion of subsidized housing, and as a political tool to oust top administrators in the Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA).

Not so fast.

According to an internal audit, MaineHousing administrators knew nothing about the horrendous problems in our community. The problem seems to have been caused by a combination of a weary inspector, a handful of poor landlords, and a systemic lack of oversight and training.

The day our story broke, MaineHousing rushed in, verified the conditions, accepted part of the blame, and set about finding solutions.

A federal review by HUD's inspector general will verify or debunk these claims. If the federal conclusions are similar to those of the MaineHousing internal audit, it will prove the good faith and capabilities  of those running the show at MSHA.

If the internal audit is found to be untrue, then a real, top-to-bottom housecleaning is in order. Heads should roll.

Until then, attempts to cut funding to subsidized housing, or to replace the top administrators of MSHA, are just disgusting examples of self-serving politics-as-usual.

Disgusting, because advocates of these moves pretend that they are interested in helping low-income residents. In fact, such moves will hurt those renters who can least afford to be hurt.

Remember them?