Section 8 & Vouchers · Cleveland, OH

How to Apply for a Section 8 Voucher in Cuyahoga County (CMHA)

To apply for Section 8 in Cuyahoga County, submit a preliminary Housing Choice Voucher application online through CMHA's SecureCafe portal at cmha.net, which accepts applications year-round with no closing date. You'll need a valid email, Social Security numbers, birth dates for all household members, and income information. Selection runs through periodic lotteries, not strict first-come-first-served.

Who runs Section 8 in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County?

The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) is the public housing authority (HUD PHA code OH003) that administers the Housing Choice Voucher program, commonly called Section 8, for Cleveland and the rest of Cuyahoga County. CMHA's main office is at 8120 Kinsman Road, Cleveland, OH 44104, and its Applications Team can be reached at 216-431-1471, option 6.

CMHA is a separate government agency from Rent Finder Cleveland — we are a local property manager whose 90+ rental homes all happen to accept the voucher CMHA issues, but we do not process CMHA applications ourselves.

How do I apply for a Housing Choice Voucher?

CMHA accepts preliminary applications year-round with no closing date, meaning the list is effectively always open. Apply online through CMHA's RentCafe/SecureCafe portal, or use a computer kiosk at CMHA's Main Campus if you don't have internet access at home.

1. Gather an active personal email address, Social Security numbers and dates of birth for every household member, and your household's income information.
2. Submit the preliminary application through CMHA's online portal (cmha.net) or at a Main Campus kiosk.
3. Wait to be selected — CMHA uses periodic random 'mini-lotteries' drawn from the preliminary-application database, not a strict first-come-first-served line.
4. If selected, complete a full eligibility interview and documentation review with a CMHA caseworker.
5. Once approved and issued a voucher, begin your unit search — this is where working with a voucher-friendly property manager like us can save time, since HUD-inspection readiness is already handled.

How long does it take to get a voucher?

CMHA describes selection timing as variable — an applicant might be reached 'within a few days, or it may take months,' since the lottery draws from the pool of open preliminary applications rather than moving strictly in the order people applied. There is no guaranteed date, so it's worth applying as soon as you're eligible even if you aren't actively searching for a home yet. See our CMHA waitlist guide for more on how the lottery process works.

What income limits apply to Section 8 in Cuyahoga County?

CMHA's published Very-Low-Income limits (effective April 3, 2025) set the income ceiling for eligibility. These limits are updated annually by HUD, so treat the figures below as current as of that date and re-verify with CMHA before assuming eligibility.

What happens after I get a voucher?

Once CMHA issues your voucher, you have a limited window to find a qualifying unit, and the unit must pass a housing quality inspection before your subsidy payments start. HUD is transitioning inspection standards from HQS to NSPIRE, with the Housing Choice Voucher transition deadline extended to February 1, 2027. Every home in our portfolio is already HUD-inspection-ready, which removes one of the most common delays voucher holders face. Browse our Section 8 houses for rent in Cleveland or book a showing once you have your voucher in hand.

Common mistakes that slow down a CMHA application

A few avoidable errors account for most of the delays applicants run into: using an email address that isn't checked regularly (CMHA's lottery notifications and interview scheduling go through email), leaving off a household member's Social Security number or date of birth, and letting income documentation go stale between the preliminary application and the eligibility interview. Update your contact information with CMHA any time you move or change your phone number or email while your application is pending, so you don't miss a notification that could reach you 'within a few days.'

It also helps to start thinking about where you'd like to live before your voucher is issued, rather than after. Reviewing typical rents and bedroom sizes across Cleveland neighborhoods ahead of time means you can move straight into touring homes the moment CMHA approves you, instead of starting your search from zero under a time-limited voucher window.

Rent Finder Cleveland is an equal housing opportunity provider and does business in accordance with the Fair Housing Act. Availability, pricing, and terms are subject to change.