Getting a housing voucher can be difficult, but finding a landlord to accept it can be even harder. That’s because some landlords won’t rent to a tenant who is using a voucher to cover part of their rent – often called “source of income” discrimination.
Your source of income is what you use to pay for things such as rent and utilities. That could be a paycheck from a job, child support or Social Security payments.
Eight Northeast Ohio municipalities have passed laws protecting people from discrimination based on income. Five are within Cuyahoga County: Cleveland Heights, Linndale, South Euclid, University Heights and Warrensville Heights. Three – Cleveland Heights, South Euclid and University Heights – specifically include voucher protections. Akron, Lorain and Wickliffe have also passed similar laws.
What are Section 8 housing vouchers? Start here.
There are long waitlists for Section 8 vouchers in Cuyahoga County. But here’s how you can try to get one.
Allowing discrimination ‘wastes federal resources’
Nearly 15,000 households across Cuyahoga County rely on Section 8 housing vouchers to pay rent. Households with vouchers typically pay 30% of their income toward rent and the voucher covers the rest.
Cleveland doesn’t protect people against source of income discrimination. If you’ve looked at apartment listings, you may have seen ads that say “no vouchers” or “no Section 8.” In 2021, several Cleveland lawmakers considered introducing a law to protect people from income discrimination, but no such law ever passed.
“There’s a strong correlation between ‘No Section 8’ and ‘No Black People.”
Kris Keniray, Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research
“There’s a strong correlation between ‘No Section 8’ and ‘No Black People,” according to Kris Keniray, associate director at the Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research.
Almost 90% of voucher recipients in the county are Black, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
“Housing is just such a fundamental part of everyone’s life, and [a Section 8 voucher] provides a pathway to safe and affordable housing for people,” Keniray said.
Federal laws protect against other forms of discrimination. Landlords can’t treat people differently or refuse to rent based on race, gender, disability and other protected classes. In some cases, local governments expand those protections. For example, Cuyahoga County passed a law to add discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people.
If you’ve experienced housing discrimination in Cuyahoga County, you have options for filing a complaint. Learn more about your rights from the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
Not sure where to start? You can call the Fair Housing Center to speak with a housing advocate at 216-361-9240.
Without federal laws in place, it is up to local and state governments to pass laws to protect tenants based on how they pay rent.
“We are wasting federal resources that could be providing stable housing for residents in our community by allowing source of income discrimination,” said Keniray.
Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) runs the largest voucher program in the county. CMHA’s “success rate” for getting people with vouchers housed is only 36% within six months, according to a CMHA spokesperson.
Looking to make a complaint? Start here:
Cuyahoga County cities that ban ‘source of income’ discrimination get few complaints. Here’s how to file one
Source of income protections across Northeast Ohio
Cuyahoga County is made up of nearly 40 cities, 20 villages and two townships. Five of those have passed housing laws that include source of income protections.
“The moral of the story is that not all source of income protections are created the same.”
Austin Cummings, Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research
“The moral of the story is that not all source of income protections are created the same,” said Austin Cummings, a researcher at the Fair Housing Center.
For example, some cities do not explicitly define “source of income” to include vouchers, leaving it up for interpretation.
Here are the cities in Cuyahoga County with source of income protections:
Cleveland Heights
Date passed: 2021
Cleveland Heights passed source of income protections that ban any person, real estate agent or lending institution from discriminating against renters or buyers. Cleveland Heights defines source of income as lawful income from wages, Social Security, Supplemental Security income, all forms of federal, state or local assistance payments or subsidies, child support, spousal support and public assistance. The law also includes housing vouchers, emergency rental assistance, disability benefits and military or veterans benefits.
Linndale
Date passed: 2012
Linndale – the county’s smallest village of about 100 people – has source of income protections that ban discrimination against renters or buyers. The law does not specifically mention government subsidies or Section 8 housing vouchers.
South Euclid
Date passed: 2015, updated in 2018 to define source of income
South Euclid includes “receipt of public assistance” in the city’s definition of source of income discrimination. There are exceptions for religious organizations and owner-occupied properties.
University Heights
Date passed: 2012, updated in 2019 to define source of income
University Heights defines source of income as lawful income from wages, Social Security, Supplemental Security income, all forms of federal, state or local assistance payments or subsidies, child support, spousal support and public assistance. The city also has exceptions for religious organizations.
Warrensville Heights
Date passed: 2012
Warrensville Heights’ law includes general source of income protections but does not specifically list government subsidies or Section 8 housing vouchers.
[Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Cleveland Heights defines source of income to include public assistance and other benefits.]
Do you have experience renting with a voucher in Cleveland? If so, we want to hear from you. Contact Service Reporter Dakotah Kennedy at dakotah@signalcleveland.org.
