Beat the Neighbors

Section 8 Residents Not Exactly Blending In Gated Community

Keith DiLisio paid $250,000 for his condo unit at the Sonoma Bay community in Rivera Beach; some of his neighbors paid well over $300,000. Back during the boom, Cornerstone Builders enticed potential buyers with "resort-style living with amenities such as a gated entrance, clubhouse, barbecue and picnic area." Now add "fighting pit bulls" and "parking lot assaults" to the list of lifestyle amenities at Sonoma Bay thanks to the City of Riviera Beach's subsidized Section 8 rental program. Despite the community outrage, Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas Masters says he has gathered extensive polling data that lets him sleep at night: "You have to ask those people, 'Do you feel safe here?'. They're still here. I tell people, 'Hey, if it's good enough and you're still here, then that tells me you're comfortable and you feel safe." Of course it's "good enough" for the Section 8 residents. And as for the original buyers, they're "still there" because their units are now worth 20% of what they paid four years ago. DiLisio estimates his unit is worth $50,000 today. (WBPF Video)