Affordable Housing in Cleveland, OH

This page collects the specific programs, agencies, phone numbers, and rules that apply in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County — not generic Section 8 advice. Two things make Cleveland unusual: the CMHA Housing Choice Voucher waitlist stays open all the time (apply anytime), and Cleveland was the fourth city in the country to enact a Right to Counsel ordinance for eviction defense. The named resources below are where to start.

Emergency Help Tonight in Cleveland

If you need a safe place to sleep tonight or are facing an imminent eviction, these are the local resources to contact first:

• 2100 Lakeside Men's Shelter (Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry) — Cleveland's largest men's emergency shelter. lutheranmetro.org
• Norma Herr Women's Shelter — emergency shelter for women experiencing homelessness in Cleveland
• Family Promise of Greater Cleveland — emergency shelter and case management for families with children
• Laura's Home (The City Mission) — emergency shelter for women and children, with addiction recovery and trauma support
• Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center (DVCAC) — DV shelter and 24-hour crisis line: (216) 391-HELP (4357). Bilingual advocates
• Bellefaire JCB — emergency shelter and supportive services for youth and young adults
• Coordinated Intake (Frontline Service) — single point of entry for Cuyahoga County shelter system. Call 211 or (216) 391-2030
• 211 Northeast Ohio — free 24/7 information line for shelters, food, financial assistance, and social services

For a full walkthrough of finding shelter the first night, see our emergency housing tonight guide.

Section 8 in Cleveland: CMHA Status and How to Apply

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Cleveland are administered by the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), one of the largest PHAs in Ohio with about 21,000 assisted units total (15,994 Housing Choice Vouchers and 5,009 public housing units). Current status (checked September 9, 2026):

• The HCV waitlist is always open — this is unusual nationally. You can apply at any time at cmha.net. Don't wait — the list is long even though it's open
• How selection works: CMHA: "To ensure vouchers are distributed equitably, CMHA will select applications through multiple mini lotteries from the preliminary application database," and "Because of the random selection, your name may come up within a few days, or it may take months." Finding a landlord who accepts the voucher is often the hardest step
• Public Housing waitlist: CMHA publishes no open-or-closed status for its public housing (CMHA Estates) list. Apply or check through the CMHA portal for CMHA-owned properties; this is a separate list from Section 8
• Project-Based Voucher (PBV) lists at specific properties may also be open. Check the property-by-property listings on cmha.net
• Other special programs: HUD-VASH for veterans, Mainstream vouchers for non-elderly people with disabilities, the Cuyahoga Community Choice Demonstration (a federal mobility initiative) — separate referral processes
• Income limits: for the Cleveland HUD Metro FMR Area, the Very Low Income limit for a family of four is about $49,700/year. Many qualifying families don't realize they're eligible — check before assuming
• Apply to neighboring authorities too: Lake Metropolitan Housing Authority, Lorain MHA, Akron MHA, and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency run separate lists
• Status check: call CMHA at (216) 271-2700 if you've already applied and need to verify your position

For the national application process, see our step-by-step Section 8 guide and how to find your PHA.

Emergency Rental Assistance in Cleveland (Named Programs)

If you're behind on rent or can't pay this month, these are the local programs currently operating in Cleveland. Funding shifts month to month — always call to confirm current availability:

• Cuyahoga County Prevention, Retention & Contingency (PRC) — county-administered emergency assistance through Health & Human Services. Can include rent, utility, and other emergency aid. hhs.cuyahogacounty.gov
• CHN Housing Partners — large nonprofit providing emergency rental assistance, financial counseling, energy assistance, and home repair across northeast Ohio. chnhousingpartners.org
• EDEN, Inc. — permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and emergency rental help for people with disabilities and chronic homelessness
• Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland — emergency financial assistance, food, immigration legal services, Spanish-language services
• St. Vincent de Paul Society of Cleveland — one-time emergency rental and utility help through local parish conferences
• Salvation Army Greater Cleveland — seasonal eviction prevention and utility assistance
• United Way of Greater Cleveland — runs 211 and coordinates many of the rental assistance and Right to Counsel programs. unitedwaycleveland.org
• Free Eviction Help — Cleveland (freeevictionhelp.org) — the front door to Cleveland Right to Counsel; pairs eligible tenants with free attorneys

Federal pandemic-era ERA has ended

The federal pandemic Emergency Rental Assistance (CHARP and Ohio's ERA waves) that distributed billions through CHN Housing Partners and Cuyahoga County has closed. Current paths are PRC, CHN's ongoing programs, and the named nonprofits above. Don't waste time on old 2021–2023 application portals.

Utility assistance: HEAP and PIPP

Ohio's Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) helps with winter heating bills (typically November–May) and the Summer Crisis Program runs July–September. The Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) lets eligible Ohioans pay a percentage of household income toward their utility bill. CHN Housing Partners administers HEAP in Cuyahoga County. Apply through CHN or call 211.

Tenant Rights in Cleveland & Ohio

Ohio's state framework is generally landlord-friendly, but Cleveland has a major local protection through Right to Counsel:

• Right to Counsel — Cleveland (RTC-C): Cleveland was the first city in the Midwest and the fourth in the country to enact a Right to Counsel ordinance, passed in October 2019 and launched July 1, 2020. Eligible low-income Cleveland tenants get free legal representation in eviction hearings in Cleveland Housing Court. To qualify, your income must be at or below the federal poverty guideline AND you must have at least one child in your household. Reports show 85% of tenants with counsel avoid disruptive displacement. Apply through Legal Aid Society of Cleveland at 216-861-5835 or at freeevictionhelp.org
• No source-of-income protection in Cleveland as of 2026. Ohio has no statewide protection, and Cleveland has not (yet) passed an ordinance like Columbus's 0494-2021. Finding a landlord who already accepts vouchers is part of the work — CMHA maintains a participating-landlord list
• 3-day notice to vacate for nonpayment (Ohio Revised Code §1923.04) — among the shortest in the country. Act fast
• 30-day notice for month-to-month termination from either party
• Security deposit return: within 30 days, with an itemized list of any deductions (ORC §5321.16). Ohio does not cap deposit amounts
• Warranty of habitability: ORC §5321.04 requires landlords to comply with building, health, and housing codes; keep common areas safe; provide working plumbing, heat, hot water, and structurally sound housing. The Cleveland Department of Building & Housing handles inspection complaints
• Retaliatory eviction is illegal under ORC §5321.02 if the landlord acts in response to tenant complaints to code enforcement, joining a tenant association, or pursuing legal remedies
• Self-help eviction is illegal: ORC §5321.15 prohibits landlords from locking you out, shutting off utilities, or removing belongings. They must use court eviction through Cleveland Housing Court
• Fair housing: discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, military status, ancestry, or disability is illegal under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4112. Cleveland and Cuyahoga County add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes locally

For free legal help: Legal Aid Society of Cleveland at 216-861-5835 is the primary RTC-C provider; Cleveland Housing Court Self-Help Center can help with paperwork even if you don't qualify for RTC-C. For state-level details, see our Ohio housing resources. If you experience discrimination, see how to file a housing discrimination complaint.

Other Housing Programs in Cleveland

• Public housing: CMHA owns about 5,000 public-housing units across Cleveland, including the Carver Park, Lakeview Terrace, and Outhwaite estates. Application is separate from Section 8 — both are at cmha.net
• LIHTC (Tax Credit): privately owned income-restricted apartments. Cleveland has a substantial LIHTC inventory. Search HUD's LIHTC database for properties in Cuyahoga County. See how to find LIHTC housing
• Cuyahoga Community Choice Demonstration — a federal mobility initiative to help voucher holders move to higher-opportunity neighborhoods within the metro. cuyahogamobility.org
• HUD-VASH (veterans): combines a voucher with VA case management. Cleveland-area veterans are referred through the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. See how to apply for HUD-VASH
• Rapid Rehousing & Permanent Supportive Housing — coordinated through the Cuyahoga County CoC. Access via Coordinated Intake (call (216) 391-2030 or 211)
• Ohio Housing Finance Agency programs — down-payment assistance, homebuyer programs, and Ohio Heroes Mortgage. ohiohome.org
• HUD-approved housing counseling: find a counselor through the HUD counselor locator — CHN Housing Partners, Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland, and ESOP offer counseling

Next Steps

Not sure which program is right for you? Our Where to Start tool asks a few quick questions about your situation — emergency vs. long-term, family vs. individual, employed vs. on benefits — and routes you to the right combination of programs. It takes about two minutes.

If you're not yet on the CMHA Section 8 list, apply at cmha.net — the list is always open in Cleveland. If you have an eviction summons and at least one child in your household, call Legal Aid Society of Cleveland at 216-861-5835 to claim your free attorney through Right to Counsel.