A middle-aged father, covered in faded tattoos and muscles softened by time, watches toddlers play in a stairwell shaded by a government-subsidized apartment.
He points to open second floor windows, big enough for a baby to lean out of, noting the lack of protective screens. He motions to a neighboring apartment building with broken air conditioning and mentions the children that come home from school to study in their sweltering Carver Gardens home on Southeast 15th Street.
The man declined to give his name for fear of eviction but said his rent recently increased from about $60 to about $77 a month. About a month ago, Section 8 residents' rent payments increased - some by tens of dollars, others by 400 percent - but conditions haven't changed.
The Gainesville Housing Authority, which manages Carver Gardens and other government-assisted housing complexes, is facing a prospective shortfall of about $1 million after letting too many people into the housing voucher program.
To compensate, the housing authority raised tenants' rent rates, which are based on individual income.
"We're still working extremely hard to correct the problem locally," said Jane Morris, a Gainesville Housing Authority commissioner. "It obviously is a very difficult and unacceptable situation."
Morris, who lives in the 400 Building, a Section 8 complex that was not affected by the increase, said the organization was receiving less federal funding.
She said the Gainesville Housing Authority voted to increase residents' rates as an alternative to removing residents from the program. But the organization will search for a solution that steers clear of both issues at a Sept. 27 board meeting, she said.
Gail Monahan, executive director of the Alachua County Housing Authority, said the situation was the result of a knee-jerk reaction by the city housing organization.
"I think that was a very foolish thing to do," said Monahan, who was the executive director of the Gainesville Housing Authority until the organizations split in April.
She equates the problem to a tilting ship. Had the leaders taken a step back and looked at the full picture, the ship would've righted itself. Instead, they jerked the helm.
For those who call Section 8 housing their home, the most common response to higher rent is to keep their heads down.
But between the broken toilets that never see a plumber and the peeling paint on the walls, there's plenty to complain about, the man with the tattoos said.
The man just hopes, for the sake of the children in his neighborhood, the increased cost means increased care.
