Inspection Time

Today, the SD Housing Commission made their yearly visit.

When you have subsidized housing, this is just one of the 'little' intrusions you have to learn to accept.

One of the problems with the yearly inspections? They don't know why they are doing it; I don't know why they are doing it. They don't want to be doing it; I don't want them to do it. However, there is a THICK multi-paged form they have to fill out, or your rent will not continue to be subsidized.

For me, it's just another of the time consuming life sustaining items in my life. (Being poor takes so very much time!)

You do get notice of this annual visit 30 & 7 days prior. You do not get a time, however. So if you want to be around when your home is invaded by a stranger, you have to plan to be there all day.

You also have NO idea who the person is going to be; I've never had the same person twice. And worse yet, you have no idea what the person's attitude is going to be, or what their particular items of interest might be.

This year, the guy did not check one thing; not the fire alarm, a faucet, the heater, nadda. It turned out though that he WAS a member of the 'SMOKING' Police. He told me I needed to wash the walls with a mop. When I told him I was not able to do that (sitting right there in front of him in a wheelchair), he said that I'd have to pay someone to do it.

I've lived here 6 years. The walls ARE dirty, but from living, not graffiti or something. Any one's walls would be dirty after 6 yrs.

But then he said, "And after you have the walls washed, it would be wise not to smoke in here."

I took a deep breath, so as not to lose my temper, then kindly told him that this was my HOME, and that I could do anything here that was legal.

He signed the papers, gave me my copy (which I couldn't read at all, he hadn't pressed hard enough), and left.

I tore up the papers and put them at the bottom of the trash can, to line it, looked at the smoke alarm wondering if it was still functional, and went about my day.

Poor equals the bottom of the bureaucracy...