A Korean American senior has faced months of uncertainty, unable to move into an apartment despite receiving approval for a Section 8 voucher. This reflects a lack of progress by the City of Los Angeles.
Riverside resident Sam Yoo, 89, encountered repeated obstructions following the approval of his long-awaited Section 8 voucher by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) on May 9.
According to Yoo, the HACLA case worker assured that, subject to the timely submission of bank and social security documents, a move into a senior apartment in LA’s Koreatown would be feasible within two months.
However, these promises turned hollow as Yoo found himself mired in delays and a lack of actionable responses from HACLA despite his compliance with the submission of necessary documents.
“When inquiring about the status of the case, the recurring response has been ‘the person in charge has changed,’ with no further explanations provided,” Yoo conveyed his frustration.
Having been placed on a waiting list following the re-opening of the Section 8 voucher application after a five-year hiatus, which saw a deluge of 220,000 applications, Yoo’s anticipation has only been met with disappointment and a continual lack of clear communication.
Yoo’s experience has been marred by inconsistency, with his case manager having changed five times, further complicating his situation given his limited English proficiency.
He articulated his struggle: “Navigating this process is particularly challenging due to language barriers, making it impossible to voice my grievances effectively.”
This ordeal has not only fostered a sense of helplessness but also highlighted a considerable lack of empathy and urgency among the responsible officials, who have been unresponsive to persistent attempts for communication and clarification by the Korea Daily.
The Section 8 voucher program, a lifeline for many low-income individuals, remains hampered by overwhelming demand and limited resources, necessitating a lengthy wait for applicants even post-approval.
Such bureaucratic hindrances and lack of streamlined communication have thus far impeded Yoo’s transition, leaving him in a protracted state of uncertainty and disappointment.
BY NICOLE CHANG [chang.nicole@koreadaily.com]
