Cleveland Heights officials say they are making it easier for people to lodge complaints when they think a landlord turned them away as a tenant because they have a housing voucher.
The city is one of five in Cuyahoga County that ban this type of housing discrimination, often called “source of income discrimination.”
Cleveland Heights passed source of income protections in 2021. Source of income is what you use to pay for things such as rent and utilities. That could be a paycheck from a job, support payments or Section 8 housing voucher.
Though Cleveland Heights has had legislation on the books for more than three years, the city has yet to receive a single complaint.
What does the law protect against?
Cleveland Heights’ source of income protections ban any person, real estate agent or lending institution from discriminating against renters or buyers. The city 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.
Over the summer, Signal Cleveland looked for clear information on how or where to turn if a resident using a voucher is denied housing. In August, Signal Cleveland published how people can file complaints.
Since then, the city has heard from a few residents who believe they were denied housing for trying to rent with a voucher. More than 600 households in the city that rely on vouchers to help pay their rent, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Housing discrimination complaints are more complicated than ones made for falling gutters, water issues or tall grass, officials said.
To make the process smoother, the city is now routing people to the Mayor’s Action Center at City Hall.
Cleveland Heights creates a new way for people to navigate source of income complaints
“This is what I do all day,” Todd Walburn, coordinator for the center, told Signal Cleveland. Walburn helps residents who don’t know who to contact or might be intimidated to speak with city officials.
Now, Walburn is the first stop when filing a source of income complaint in Cleveland Heights. After Signal Cleveland told residents how to file complaints, Walburn said he received an email from a concerned resident asking about source of income discrimination.
“It’s an important conversation to continue. I think communicating that with residents is extremely important and then fine tuning our process.”
Todd Walburn, Cleveland Heights Mayor’s Action Center
“As with everything here – if I don’t know what it is – I just ask,” Walburn said.
Since Walburn is usually the first one to speak to residents, it made sense to have the complaints start with him, he told Signal Cleveland.
“I think it’s nice for people to have that personal touch,” he said. The resident’s email prompted a conversation with the city’s law department, which will now investigate these types of housing complaints.
The city has a new complaint form that residents can use to report source of income discrimination as well as other types of housing discrimination. For example, landlords cannot discriminate against people based on race, gender, disability and other protected groups.
“It is more of a conversation where I’m interviewing the residents and getting just their backstory so I can explain to them what the process is and then make as many notes as I can in the request that I send to the law department,” said Walburn.
Walburn has already spoken to a few residents about source of income discrimination. He said he overheard one woman talking to people in the housing department about something else. Then, he recognized a potential source of income complaint.
“It was nice to have that immediate connection where I knew what she needed and I knew how to handle it,” said Walburn. Another resident emailed him shortly after Signal Cleveland’s article came out, asking about the city’s process for handling complaints.
Walburn said he’s already noticed a theme: People want to use their vouchers to stay in Cleveland Heights but feel as though they can’t. He said he’s spoken with two women who were told to use their vouchers elsewhere, typically the Hough neighborhood.
“This is their home,” Walburn said.
“It’s an important conversation to continue. I think communicating that with residents is extremely important and then fine tuning our process.”
So far, people have picked up complaint forms but none have been submitted.
Steps for filing complaints against landlords who refuse Section 8 housing vouchers
Download a copy of the complaint form here. Complaints can be submitted by email at [email protected] or in person at Cleveland Heights City Hall at 40 Severance Circle 44118.
All complaints need to be notarized, according to Walburn. Complaints are considered sworn statements. He said that he would help anyone find a notary and might even be able to provide that service at Cleveland Heights City Hall.
Complaint forms are forwarded to the city’s law department for further investigation.
Need a complaint form mailed to you?
Call the Mayor’s Action Center at (216) 291-2323 or submit an online service request. Be sure to select Private Residential Property, where you will be asked to provide an exact address. The address should be where you want the complaint form mailed, according to Walburn.
