Housing fraud as serious as theft from other areas.

The Senate Public Safety Committee unanimously passed Assembly Bill 2827 on Tuesday, legislation aimed at fighting Section 8 Housing fraud and protecting hardworking Californians who are in need of subsidized housing.

“The full extent of fraud throughout the state is unknown,” Assemblywoman Sharon Runner said.  “AB 2827 is the step in the right direction to combat greedy criminals who rob taxpayers of their hard earned money by illegally using subsidized housing.”

AB 2827 creates a stand alone subsection of Penal Code Section 487 that will allow District Attorney’s offices to track incidents of Section 8 Housing fraud in each county. This data will provide substantial evidence on the severity and extent of the problem, as there is currently no uniform tracking system throughout the state.

“Section 8 Housing fraud is a serious problem that needs to be addressed immediately,” Runner added.  “Although Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties have made strides to fight those who continuously take from our most vulnerable citizens in need, more must be done to protect our communities from this fraudulent behavior on a state-wide level.”

Current law lists different types of grand theft from fruit and vegetables to cargo and real estate, but does not specifically list Section 8 Housing fraud in the penal code.

“We have a huge waiting list of qualified families and seniors who have a greater need than those who choose to commit fraud,” Runner said.  “This is a good, sensible and cost effective manner to crackdown on those who abuse the system.”

The legislation now moves on to the Senate Appropriations Committee.