I'm 16 years old and about to get my first job. I wanted to save up for college but my mom is asking me for FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS per month to help pay for rent. She told me that "When I get a job, the rent is gonna go up because we live on section 8." 1, I don't think we live on section 8 because it is a nice apartment that we live in, i have 3 siblings and an older brother that also has a part time job. But if we do live on section 8, is it true? I assumed that since im a minor the rent wouldn't go up.
2, $500 is a lot considering its just a part time job. What if i make only $510 and i have to give her 99% of my earnings and im left with $10 after hours of work? It doesn't make sense to me. I also don't even want to do that.. I wouldve been fine if its like $100, but $500 is too much to me..
I could use that money to save up for a car and college. It's not like we're behind on rent or the bills or anything at all.
My mom is asking for $500 to help pay for rent
byu/Working_Citron_6674 inpersonalfinance
Posted by Working_Citron_6674
15 Comments
Sounds like she’s ok with holding you back. Think about that some, then think about your options.
Yes, your family could be on Section 8 rental assistance even though you think your apartment is nice, you have several siblings, and one of them works.
Yes, the income of minor children in the household can affect how much rent you pay on Section 8. How much depends on the specific rules of the Housing Authority that handles the assistance. You may also be on a rental assistance program similar to Section 8 that your mother just calls that, which has entirely different rules.
You need to have a conversation with your mother about the expectations for you contributing to the household. Ask her if you can learn more about the type of rental assistance your family uses, and help with the next report of your family’s information, read the notices and rules information you’ve been given, etc.
If you think it will cause more problems than it’s worth, you can also just not get a job right now until you can work this out with your family.
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Brief google shows that minor’s income doesn’t count towards household income for section 8, so it doesn’t really matter.
$500/mo is pretty steep especially part time/first job. Unfortunately that’s more of a relationship question than a personal finance one. I would say, at 16, the best thing you can do is do a LOT of reading about personal finance – this subs wiki’s reading list is a great place to start. If your parents are asking you for $500/mo for rent, good chance that they have some beliefs about money that are somewhere between “slightly misguided” and “outright damaging”, and you would do well to un-learn what they’ve been modeling for you and write a financial story that YOU want to write.
You don’t have to give her money. You’re a minor, it’s not like she can kick you out. She could make your life difficult in other ways though. I would tell her you’ll give her like $100-$200 a month or something to help out but that’s it. Maybe you can do more chores to help out instead of money too.
She’s your mom and you should help the family if it’s really needed…But that being said, if she’s asking for THAT much money, you need to ask her to share the family budget with you. Too many kids don’t have a clue what their family’s financial situation looks like. She doesn’t have to share this with you, but it’s not fair to ask for THAT much money without sharing.
Don’t get a job yet, focus on school and preparing for your future career.
Section 8 does have nice apartments, so you definitely could be on section 8. It does also count household income, so there might be risks.
There’s no way for me to know for sure. But I do know that if you do well in school you can make much more money later. So your best long-term option is probably to focus the time you would spend working on school.
What the hell.
She’s definitely using your newfound income to her benefit. That’s messed up. You are only 16 so unfortunately I don’t know if you have any options here such as moving out, but is there anybody in your personal life you can reach out to for help? $500 is way too much for what I assume will be less than $20/hr.
$500 from a 16 year old part-time check is way too much.
don’t agree to anything until you know the actual section 8 rules for your household. ask your mom to show you the notice or rent calculation, or talk to the housing office/school counselor with a trusted adult.
helping a little is one thing. handing over basically your whole paycheck is not reasonable.
Wait until sect 8 sends her the new payment amt it is always in writting
I would discuss a percentage of your income if it is a big deal. Your mom may be under a lot of stress supporting a family of four. As a side note, College is super expensive. Anything you save up will mostly like only cover miscellaneous expenses such as food, travel etc. Best of luck on your journey. It sounds like you are on the right path. Life can be difficult and there are no perfect answers for every obstacle you encounter.
If it’s in an apartment complex, a lot of states require them to make a certain Percentage of the available apartments open for Section 8.
You lose support funding as kids age. We lost our comfortable subsidized home when I aged out. I gave my parents what I could when I started working. Same as my older siblings did. You are free to do as you please. I’m not going to judge you. I just wanted you to know that it isn’t necessary that your parents are malicious and bad with money. They may be doing the best they can with the income they have. They may be very embarrassed having to ask you for money. Mine were.
Good luck, OP!
Section 8 usually charges 30% of the income for rent. However, if you’re earning less than $15,000 per year, you might not have to file/declare it. Your mom, does not have to include your income on her taxes, that’s for sure. But I’m not 100% sure if she’d still need to declare it for Section 8 purposes.
In modern apartments, there are usually a few set aside for lower income families. They are usually done as an agreement between the developer and local government to grant permits. How long the agreement last, depends on the agreement.