Section 8 Housing in Ohio

Section 8 in Ohio is the federal Housing Choice Voucher program, run locally. The tenant pays roughly 30% of household income toward rent; the voucher covers the rest, up to the payment standard, paid directly to the landlord. Vouchers are portable — you can move with a voucher to another Ohio county or out of state. Ohio also has project-based Section 8 (subsidy tied to a building) and, in Cuyahoga County, EDEN supportive housing for people with disabilities or experiencing homelessness. Important: Ohio has no statewide source-of-income protection. Outside the City of Cleveland (Ordinance 213-22) and a few other localities, private landlords may legally decline vouchers — though federally funded buildings never can.

Payment standards vary by ZIP code. Since January 1, 2025, HUD has required CMHA to use Small Area Fair Market Rents, so CMHA sets its voucher payment standards ZIP code by ZIP code, generally between 90% and 110% of HUD's fair market rent for that area. Look up the current standard for any Cuyahoga County ZIP code with CMHA's online payment standard tool, or call CMHA at 216-348-5000.

To apply for Section 8 in Ohio, contact your county's metropolitan housing authority — CMHA at cmha.net for Cuyahoga County, and the equivalent authority for Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, Summit, or Montgomery county. Waitlists open periodically; check each PHA's site for current status and apply during open enrollment. Once issued a voucher, you'll receive a shopping period to find a unit; the apartment must pass a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection and the rent must be reasonable. Browse voucher-accepting apartments by city and neighborhood, and bring your voucher paperwork to every viewing. Free help with applications and denials is available from Ohio legal aid organizations.