How to Apply for Section 8 in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) uses the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program to give low-income renters access to the private rental market. To make fair market rent affordable to needy families, HUD uses the Section 8 voucher to subsidize the portion of a household's rent that exceeds 30 to 40 percent of its income. Application for Section 8 assistance in Cincinnati follows the nationwide protocol. But, specific income limits and waiting list considerations vary by place.

Instructions

1. Check to see that your household income falls at or under the limit HUD sets for your area. HUD allows families with incomes at or below 50 percent of their area's median to apply for Section 8 housing. As of 2010, 50 percent of the median income for a two-person household in the Cincinnati metropolitan area is $27,800.

2. Contact the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) at 513-721-4580. CMHA administers the Section 8 program in the Cincinnati area.

3. Inquire with CMHA about the status of their waiting list. As of October 2010, CMHA's Section 8 waiting list is closed. As per the Code of Federal Regulations, CMHA will post public notice in widely-circulated newspapers and other Cincinnati-area media before reopening its waiting list.

4. See if you qualify for preferential placement on CMHA's Section 8 waiting list when it reopens. CMHA notes that it gives preference to homeless families, those living in substandard housing, families who are spending more than half of their income on housing and the "involuntarily displaced."

5. Complete an application for Section 8 housing when the list reopens. An application gets you on CMHA's waiting list. When your name reaches the top, CMHA will contact you to confirm program eligibility. Like all housing authorities, CMHA will ask you to verify your household composition and income using documents such as birth certificates and paycheck stubs. You may also be required to provide references and details about your employment, banking, rental and criminal histories. If CMHA approves your application, it will issue you a Section 8 voucher.

Tips & Warnings

• Seventy-five percent of CMHA's Section 8 vouchers must go to families with incomes at or below 30 percent of the Cincinnati metro's median income. As of 2010, this equals $16,700 for a two-person household.

References

• HUD: Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet
• HUD: 2010 Income Limits, Ohio
• Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA): HCV Waiting List
• Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA): HCV FAQs
• Code of Federal Regulations: Title 24, Section 982.206