Oh boy...section 8 people I bet! Come on SSH...get rid of the trash and section 8 motels. Give us all a christmas gift, huh?

this comes down to the greedy landlords of these motels, hotels. they get paid for housing these people. how about returning seaside as a place for families, etc.

The "landlords" are from India, who had a major law suit against the town, Mayor, Council and Administrator to keep a percentage of the rooms for welfare. They said they couldn't survive the winters without them. There needs to be a bigger game plan Mayor Aikers. It's obviously a great little town with a lot of potential.

Please don't demonize ALL section 8 people (or poor people in general) because of the likes of these two and some others. My cousin owns rental properties in Toms River, Bayville and Forked River, and he ONLY rents to section 8 tenants for the last 25 yrs. Only 2 times was he very unhappy with the families he's had in his homes. The rest were all respectable, hard-working people with kids who just needed some assistance. Some stayed in his homes a year or two, some much longer than that. He always made sure his homes were nice on the outside so they were on par with the neighborhood homes around them, and nice on the inside so the tenants appreciated where they lived.
The problem with Seaside isn't new. They had section 8 issues 30 yrs ago! But that's because decent, fair-priced rentals were *always* at a premium in Ocean County and winter rentals in Seaside were cheap.
Most of the places for rent there are beat, downtrodden dumps, too.... having been used and abused by hundreds of people over the short $ summer season $. Most section 8 people get stuck living in some real dirty dumps, because there's no choice. It's no picnic being poor, you know, have some compassion. And remember that even neighborhoods with million dollar homes have crimes and criminal activity going on in them. Bad people and bad things happen amongst all classes.

I've known Seaside Heights since 1965. (I was 9 yrs old then). I grew up in Toms River only a mile or so from the bridge. I had family that owned summer-only rental properties there on Carteret, two, and four blocks back from the beach for more than 40 yrs. (Granted, they didn't rent out in the winter).
I even lived in Seaside Park, year round for a few years, when I was first married (mid 70's).
Carolina, I'm not saying it's NOT 'bad' there, but I just have an issue with people thinking it was a regular "family paradise" just a few years back, and ALL the issues there are now about "section 8 losers" ruining the place. There's ALWAYS been drugs there, ALWAYS been a criminal element there, and there's always been poor people shuffled over to live in crappy motel rooms there, in the 70's 80's and so on.
It was never a true "family town", even back in the 70's.
It was a party town- bars, clubs and more bars. That's why it attracted people (single, party people) more and more and the families disappeared. But whatever, I'm not saying you're wrong... just that it's not fair to blame any ONE thing or ONE type of person for what Seaside H, Seaside P, Ortley Beach, etc has become.

Ever try living in a cheap, dirty run down 2-room "efficiency" motel room with a couple of kids? Not fun. I've known people who've done it. (no, not me).

greedy landlords who have no community tie to this area are as bad as the bums they rent to.
only way to get rid of the bad elements is tocrack down hard more raids and maybe even better than that start breaking a few legs here and there these bums would soon get to know this beach area does not want them.

as for the landlords start enforcing the code laws in town they will smarten up real quick

retired l.e.o.

I hear the Aztec has had alot of Drug problems also

LISTEN THE BABY BOOMERS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE FED UP WITH CARRYING THE LOAD FOR ALL THE REST OF THIS COUNTRY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I WORKED HARD FOR WHAT I HAVE BUT IT SEEMS THE THE BLEEDING HEARTS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE DETERMINED TO GIVE AWAY THE SOCIAL EQUITYS WE HAVE WORKED FOR,,

LOOK AROUND YOU EVERY BUM WHO CRIES POVERTY GETS HIS RENT PAID
GETS HIS FOOD STAMPS GETS HIS FREE MEDICAL CARE AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT THIS SAME BUM WILL COME ONE NITE TO ROB YOUR HOME AND MAYBE KILL YOU ,,,,,,

IS THIS TO BE OUR FUTURE WAKE UP PEOPLE WE NEED TO START MAKING BIG CHANGES AND TAKE CONTROL OF THE SITUATION AND START MAKING LAWS TO PROTECT THE MIDDLE CLASS AMERICA

Believe it or not, I feel safer in Asbury Park than I do in Seaside. Two years ago I was there every night, then this past summer, I was there the night of the gang brawls. Me and my friend actually decided to get on the sky ride to get away from all the violence. As in we were SCARED. After we got off, we FLED to my moms car. I do not enjoy Seaside at night anymore. Don't get me wrong, in the day it's fine, but at night it's new story. This past summer, somehow the Jersey Shore cast was more behaved than the other people on the boardwalk! We also can't play the Benny game on this one, although tourists bring havoc every year, these were locals who were causing the trouble this year.

If your on welfare and get caught with or doing drugs, STOP the welfare payments ASAP!! Do drug testing and check out what is going on at these shore motels and houses! I'm sick and tired of paying for these jerks to get high and break the law and laughing at all of us taxpayers! Enough!!

Come on Mattie you are really sounding like a REAL BLEEDING HEART LIBERAL!!! You should know that there is NO WAY that the ACLU would ever allow that to happen.

If you want to do drugs, go nuts, but do it with YOUR OWN money. Go get a job, and go spend all your money on that crap. If you are receiving tax payer funds, no way. It's amazing that people cry poverty, yet they have money for drugs, booze and cigarettes.
I think people are just sick and tired of our taxes going for welfare and they are not helping themselves. You cant have 3,4 kids with 3,4 different fathers, and expect society to feel bad for you. Meanwhile people are losing their jobs , through no fault of their own. I got laid off. I am pinching my pennies. Yet I met a girl who is on her 3rd child, not married, getting public assistance like I've never seen.
Merry Christmas to me....

Seaside is an open toilet, a bleeding wound, but due to the money made from the sale of alcohol,it will always stay that way. And anyone who is suprised that drugs are all over that type of area must have been born last night. Are you people that naive?? for god sake, wake up!! its a getto, gangs,drugs, prostitutes,pmps 8 goes either way, some really need it, others scam it, drug test them and that problem is solved, RANDOM TESTS. Joe C, your anger is real, but your suggesting aggravated assault, by saying maybe break a few legs, with one sentence, you lost your moral high ground, your ideas are no better than the problems were talkin about. And violence leads to violence. You need to calm down, that action is one that carrys an 8year prison term. You say u worked hard for what you have, dont lose it in a civil case cause u either sent someone to, or did yourself "break a few legs" Toms River is a city, Seaside is Harlem, always will be, for every drug dealer that gets caught, 9 others do theyre thing scott fee.BAN BOOZE, in Seaside for one full year, the place would change alot.Then it could be billed as a clean, safe, non alcoholic beach town. Then I might wanna bring my sons and wife there for 2 weeks in the summer, and spend a couple of thousand, in the local economy.Not drive to Maryland, or Delaware an give them my Benjamins. New Jersey is the nicest place, just needs some adjustments.

Mattie: we cry that the Government has to much say ( control) in our lives, now you want them to check and see that there NOT buying booze and cigarettes with there Gov'mt $$$$ & being upstanding parents and pillars of society..they had those kids and it is there responsibility to raise them ...NOT the Village !!!! But some can't even do that & can't be bothered and theirs are running the streets , mugging and car jacking the villagers..SSH is the pits to all these losers and the out of town landlords could care less, it's all about there money .. to send back home , so theirs can live as well as these people..Those in the USA don't know how good hey got it compared to other countries where there are NO HANDOUTS !!!!!!!!

There was a drug bust at the Thunderbird Motel on Kearney Ave. on Thursday. Four arrested, one a convicted felon who was released on July 18. The owners of this building are not Indian, but they are no better than some of the lowlifes they rent to.
Seaside needs to clean up its act and make sure that these slumlords follow EVERY ordinance on the books, or close them down.

Mattie, it is nice to see someone else on this site who does not have blinders on when it comes to Seaside Heights. I have lived in this town for the better part of 26 years, raised 2 boys here, neither of whom got involved with drugs or gangs even though both are here and have been since I was coming here as a kid. Do you honestly want to know what the difference in SSH is people? Things now make the news! Because of the internet we know more about what everyone is doing. There have been less drug bust this year in SSH than the first year I lived in the town, just more make the news. The police stopped 'hiding' the blotter from reporters, and think about it yourself, 26 years ago if you saw something that happened you talked to your friends about it, and that was it, now it gets posted in video on the net, everyone has Facebook and it all gets posted so nothing can be hidden anymore. When I first moved to SSH I lived across the street from the police station and before I'd get to 7/11 for a morning tea I'd have 6 people asking me if I wanted to buy drugs. the only thing that changed is now you know about it people! Mattie has the voice of reason here.

mattie, when a heroin junkie breaks into your home and wrecks your home, and ruins your sense of security, you won't be singing this song anymore. Don't worry, ill save a spot for you on the "we hate junkies who in turn, steal, rob and murder to support their habit" side. lol!

@Mattie - Thank you for the kind words for SSH. I live there year round and have for almost 5 years now. We NOT a section 8 or welfare family. However we did move here because of the lower rents, since every where else in this state is SO high. Plus I love being near the beach. NOT all of the ppl that live the in hotels that are welfare ppl abuse the system. Some do fall on hard times and need help. But those that abuse the system and then sell whatever they do on the side it what is making SSH so bad and have such a bad name. No matter what they do they will still come in. I heard in one article that they wanted to do away with the welfare hotels all together but then I think that may hurt most of their business in the winter. Yeah there may be those that want to live at the hotel and are paying out of pocket but maybe that number is down. Who knows? All I know is I am quite tired of defending SSH to all the nay sayers. Maybe there are some bad elements here, but there are some great ones too. The beach, the Boardwalk, the attractions, and most will deny that they don't frequent it but they do at one point, they had visited it. I love the summer here, with all the ppl (not so much the bennies, some are nice actually), and Fall there are some great street festivals. And we put on some great Parades too!

Very Interesting views going back and forth. One thing that I must agree with is drug testing folks that are on welfare. I work for a large company and yes, I am very grateful that I am working and able to support my family. But, I had to take a drug test and a criminal background check to get my job. I pay taxes and I am ok with the government helping folks that really need it. but if my money is going to help the needy, shouldnt they have to follow the same rules I had to? by far, not all people on assistance are bad. But If its good for one, why not all?

Mattie, I work for a large insurance company. no driving, no heavy equipment. That is there requirement for employment. I submitted to the testing because It was a requirement for employment. what is wrong with that? would you want someone handling your medical information thats hooked on crack? I wouldnt. I really "get" what your saying, but the times have changed and unfortunatly, this is necessary.

Lets just agree to disagree. Its my right as an employer to drug test. If people dont like it, they dont have to apply. If Walmart is doing that, they can face charges for picking and chosing who to test. No company will check for RX drugs, they are looking for the illegal one's. You would be suprised on how many Ivy league folks do drugs, I dont want them handling any of my PHI nor should you.

A pure case of greed. Business owners rent to section 8 trash to keep the $$$ flowing in the off season and as a result the area becomes a crime ridden sewer where no honest people will go.

how did an article about a fire turn into this. SMH!

@Charlie where do you expect the Section 8 ppl to live? Section 8 familes live all over the state. Its not just SSH. And they live here all year round not just in the off season.

My husband and myself, we are HONEST and hard working and not section 8, moved to SSH because quite frankly couldn't find a decent priced rental that we could afford. Not everyone in SSH are trash. I am proud to live here. I am sure post full time residents would say the same. For the most part its pretty quiet. And most of the stories you hear about Seaside its someone who is coming from the outside causing trouble.