In Cuyahoga County, four cities and one village have passed laws designed to protect people from source of income discrimination. Using those laws to make a complaint isn’t a straightforward process.
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 a Section 8 housing voucher.
The laws are meant to ban landlords from refusing to rent, lease or sell a home to someone based on how they plan to pay.
Cleveland Heights, Linndale, South Euclid, University Heights and Warrensville Heights each have these laws on the books. Laws in Cleveland Heights, South Euclid and University Heights have specific protections for tenants who use housing vouchers.
But most of the localities have received relatively few – if any – complaints in recent years.
Officials from Cleveland Heights and Linndale – the county’s smallest village – each said they’ve never received a complaint.
“We’re so small. [The law is] there for protection purposes,” said Richard Neff, the law director for the Village of Linndale. “If anyone wanted to move to Linndale with a housing voucher, we’d welcome them,” he said.
A University Heights official told Signal Cleveland the city “might have” received its first complaint last week. The city’s housing director, Geoff Englebrecht, said he was still looking into the details.
Warrensville Heights received one complaint in 2017, according to Benjamin Brown, the city’s building commissioner. The Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research filed the complaint against the owners of an apartment building for including language in its rental criteria that discriminated against people with housing vouchers and family status. The city resolved the complaint and the apartment building changed its application to comply with the law.
Cities lack clear information for filing complaints
Though the anti-discrimination laws allow residents to file complaints that the cities are supposed to respond to, Signal Cleveland could not find clear information on the city or village websites about how or where to turn if they are denied housing for trying to use a voucher.
Signal Cleveland reached out to each locality to get clear instructions on how renters with vouchers can submit complaints. Find that information below.
Danielle Hyde received her first housing voucher from EDEN in April. She said she’s tried to rent in multiple cities with source of income protections but landlords have refused her voucher.
“Everybody’s told me no,” said Hyde, who wants to live in Cleveland Heights, University Heights or South Euclid. She said she takes care of her mother and wants to stay close by.
Hyde said she was unaware that she had the ability to complain about voucher discrimination. “I didn’t know any of this,” she said.
‘While the law and process has not been perfect, and can be improved, we’ve made progress’
South Euclid officials said the city provides resources available for landlords, including training seminars.
The city’s Community Development director, Keith Benjamin, provided several complaints the city has followed up on since it passed the anti-discrimination provisions in 2018. Benjamin provided complaints filed by housing advocates in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Each of the complaints involved a person seeking to rent with a voucher who encountered flagrant “No Section 8” language or was told by a rental representative that they didn’t accept vouchers.
The city responded to complaints reviewed by Signal Cleveland by sending the property owners letters warning them about the consequences of violating the city’s source of income protection law. (See one of the letters below.)
“While the law and process has not been perfect, and can be improved, we’ve made progress,” wrote Benjamin. South Euclid has seen a decrease in both allegations and in landlords on rental websites not accepting vouchers, he said.
How to submit a Section 8 discrimination complaint
Here’s how to submit a complaint in each of the cities that currently have laws that ban source of income discrimination. Two other cities in Northeast Ohio – Akron and Lorain – have source of income protections and include information for residents who want to file complaints.
Cleveland Heights
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. The city passed its law in 2021.
How to submit a housing complaint: Complaints can be made to the city’s Mayor’s Action Center at 216-291-2323 or through an online service request. Be sure to select Private Residential Property, where you will be asked to provide an exact address. Complaints can also be made in-person at Cleveland Heights City Hall at 40 Severance Circle 44118.
Linndale
The Village of Linndale has had source of income protections that ban discrimination against renters or buyers since 2012. The law does not specifically mention government subsidies or Section 8 housing vouchers.
How to submit a housing complaint: Complaints can be made in-person or mailed to Linndale Village Hall at 4016 W. 119th St., Linndale, Ohio 44135. Complaints can also be emailed to Village Clerk Shannon Condon at [email protected].
South Euclid
South Euclid includes “receipt of public assistance” in the city’s definition of source of income discrimination as of 2018. There are exceptions for religious organizations and owner-occupied properties.
How to submit a housing complaint: Complaints can be made to the South Euclid Law Director at 216.381.0400 or emailed to [email protected].
University Heights
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. The city updated its 2012 law to define source of income to include vouchers in 2019.
How to submit a housing complaint: Complaints can be made to the University Heights Housing Department at 216-932-7800 or emailed to [email protected].
Warrensville Heights
Warrensville Heights’ passed its law in 2012. It includes general source of income protections but does not specifically list government subsidies or Section 8 housing vouchers.
How to submit a housing complaint: Complaints can be made to the City of Warrensville Heights at 216-587-1238 or emailed to [email protected].
