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Is it legal for a community to publish the names and addresses of those on section 8 housing?

I really like this town but it has me very concerned now that they have passed an ordinance that allows the community to publish in the newspaper the names and addresses of those on section 8 housing. It seems that after a recent crime the town blames section 8 for "bringing the crime" as I heard in a recent town meeting. Is that legal? Do you think the town is close minded or just going overboard?

Public Comments

1. Yes it's legal . . . it's public information . . . and there is a direct link between poverty and crime . . . so I'm not understanding what the big deal is about . . .that's why no one wants public housing in their "back yard"
2. Look, the people who pay taxes are the ones who fund section 8 housing, i think it is perfectly fine for people to know who they are paying for. I think the same way about politicians, however for some reason politicians feel they do not have to answer questions, even though we are the ones who pay there paycheck.
3. when you are on the public dole then the people in your town have a right to know who they are supporting. Put the shoe on the other foot for a change
4. It is probable that the Section 8 is indeed "bringing the crime." The basic problem is more the landlords as the root cause. A landlord has the right to screen, monitor, discipline and evict a Section 8 tenant the same way as a "normal" tenant. The sad fact is that some landlords use Section 8 clients as tenants of last resort after the place starts going downhill and will take the first one that walks in the door waving the welfare papers. Then they will throw up their hands and claim to be powerless to control them. They lie. A better tactic would be a local law that required certain standard screening requirements, a standard lease with protective clauses and a requirement that landlord be held directly responsible for enforcement of the lease and the behavior of the tenants. In my city a neglectful landlord can be sued in civil court by the neighbors and held responsible for keeping up the property and maintaining reputable tenants. He could even lose the property through condemnation procedings. Get tough on the landlords, as well. By the way, I am a landlord.
5. It seems the town or publisher could be sued depending on the purpose of listing Section 8 residents, whether the names published are mostly from protected classes, and whether the names are accurate. It seems a lawyer good argue that publishing the names would be for the purpose of discouraging or discriminating against a protected class of people. How would the city or community member obtain the Section 8 resident names? It seems landlords that are participating in subsidized housing would be subject to privacy guidelines and wouldn't just give-out their residents' names.
6. Ok, I totally understand that tax payers want to know where their money is going, but please don't think for a second that we all don't pay taxes, people on section 8 pay taxes as well as the next guy!! I say thank god for section 8, without it people would be homeless, jobless,and we would all have problems. Crimes definitely do not come from all section 8 housing families. We all have a little crime in our back yard, and people who we would never suspect of doing a crime have done it. I definitely think that your town is going overboard. This is someones privacy that they're invading!
7. I can not imagine why it would not be illegal. It is public money. Hiding who is spending public funds would be illegal, not disclosing it. The money for section 8 is coming out of tax payer pockets, and with the recent budget problems cities are having I think it is a good idea to show that public needs are being met.