Housing Program Options

Overview

When looking for affordable housing options, it is important to understand the differences in the programs that are available. The wait times for eligible applicants vary based on availability and preferences. Currently, it is taking close to 3 years to receive a Housing Choice Voucher from the date of application.

Row of modern townhouses with brick and siding exteriors, landscaped front yards, and a sidewalk under a clear blue sky.

For all other programs you can expect to have an offer of housing within 60-90 days from the date you are called in for your orientation, assuming that all information on your preliminary application is still accurate.

These estimates are based on the assumption that you have the preference points for being a resident of Summit County and are homeless or paying more than 30% of your income towards rent and utilities.

Program Eligibility Criteria

Please click on the tabs below for more information about the housing options that are available that best meet your needs.

Family Income Eligibility & Resources

Number of Persons
in Family

Low Income
(Public Housing)

Very Low Income
(HCVP – Section 8)

1

$56,200

$35,150

2

$64,200

$40,150

3

$72,250

$45,150

4

$80,250

$50,150

5

$86,700

$54,200

6

$93,100

$58,200

7

$99,500

$62,200

8

$105,950

$66,200
Section 8 Vouchers
Public Housing
Affordable Housing
Special Housing
Apply for Housing

Special Housing Options

Spicer Terrace is AMHA’s first permanent supportive public housing project and serves Summit County’s homeless, disabled youth ages 18-24. Spicer Terrace addresses homelessness at an early age and provides the primary basic need of shelter combined with supportive services that will allow at-risk young adults the opportunity to access the resources necessary to promote self- sufficiency. The services are provided by the project’s community partners and include educational support, career preparation, budget and financial management education, health education, and alcohol, drug and mental health treatment, among others.

The recently constructed building contains 12 one bedroom apartments and transformed the site, which previously hosted a vacant, obsolete structure. The building was designed and constructed by the design-build team of Cavanaugh Building Corporation and Four Points Architectural Services and is Green Communities certified. This project was made possible through partnerships with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) and the Summit County Continuum of Care for the Homeless, which committed and administered HUD Replacement Housing Factor funds and OHFA Capital Funding to the End Homelessness Initiative grant funds.

The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, formerly the Shelter Plus Care (S+C) Program provides rental assistance in connection with matching supportive services. The S+C Program provides a variety of permanent housing choices, accompanied by a range of supportive services funded through other sources. To qualify for this program, you must be homeless and accept case management services from Community Support Services (CSS), Portage Path Behavioral Health, or Community AIDS Network/Akron Pride Initiative (CANAPI). All referrals must go through the Homeless Hotline, (330)615-0577.

The Family Unification Program (FUP) serves:

  • Families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the imminent placement of the family’s child or children in out-of-home care or the delay in the discharge of the child or children to the family from out-of-home care
  • Eligible youths who are working to overcome or prevent homelessness, are at least 18 years old and not more than 24 years old, and who have left foster care or will leave foster care within 90 days

The Mainstream Voucher Program provides vouchers for low-income households that include a person(s) with disabilities. The program is designed to help tenants with disabilities live independently in the community. The household must include one or more non-elderly person(s) aged 18 to 61 with disabilities. AMHA has partnered with local agencies to provide services including: Coleman Professional Services, Community Support Services, County of Summit ADM Board, Direction Home, Family & Community Services, Inc., Portage Path Behavioral Health, Summit County Developmental Disabilities Board (Summit DD), Tri- County Center for Independent Living (TCILC), United Disability Services (UDS), and United Way of Summit County.

The HUD-VASH program combines Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless families with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs at its medical centers and in the community. The Cleveland Veterans Administration facility will refer all eligible HUD-VASH families to AMHA. The HUD-VASH HCV program will generally be administered in accordance with the regular HCV Program requirements. However, the Act allows HUD to waive or specify alternative requirements in order to effectively deliver and administer the HUD-VASH voucher assistance.

The Project-Based Voucher (PBV) program is a component of the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) that provides long term project-based affordable housing for very low- and extremely low-income households. Unlike the HCVP, PBV subsidies are not mobile. The subsidy is tied to a specific unit for the term of a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract. Applications for these housing options must be made through AMHA’s online pre-application.

These one-bedroom units were rehabbed by the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation and serve homeless veterans. The apartments are fully furnished, and on-site case management is provided.

These one-, two-, and three-bedroom units were developed through a HOPE VI grant and offer services including financial education and youth services. The community offers easy access to downtown and a network of neighbors to partner with.

Rent Cafe

Located by the Job Center, these furnished, one-bedroom apartments offer secure buildings with on-site case management. Additional on-site services are also available, including peer mentoring, psychiatric services, and counseling.

Community Support Services and National Church Services

These non-smoking, one- and two-bedroom apartments require one household member to be 62 years of age or older. The building was developed through a HOPE VI grant and overlooks the also newly developed Edgewood Village.

Located in Green, Ohio, these one-bedroom units are for persons 62 years of age or older. The building was designed with the needs of seniors in mind. All utilities are included in this secure, elevator-access building.

CMS Housing – Retirement Residence of Green

Located on Vernon Odom Blvd. near the intersection with Romig Rd., these furnished, one-bedroom apartments offer secure buildings with on-site services from Community Support Services (CSS), including mental and physical health care and case management. Eight of the units have been set aside for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH).

Community Support Services and National Church Residences

These two-bedroom furnished apartments are designed to meet the needs of veterans and their families. The units are located on Arch St. near Summa Hospital, and on-site case management is provided by Family and Community Services.

These two-bedroom furnished apartments are designed to meet the needs of veterans and their families. The units are located on Arch St. near Summa Hospital, and on-site case management is provided by Family and Community Services.

Axess Family Services

Housing Programs Offered by AMHA

AMHA does not provide emergency housing.

  • Estimated wait time is 6-18 months, depending upon family size.
  • Housing for families and singles that is managed and maintained by AMHA. Family public housing includes 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom units. The offer for housing will be based on family composition and bedroom size and may be anywhere in Summit County. When your name reaches the top of the wait list, you will be contacted by phone and given one offer. If you refuse the offer your refusal date will become your new application date for this program. The security deposit for all units is $50.00. You will be responsible for the following utilities: gas and electric.

  • Estimated wait time is 12-18 months.
  • Includes 1 and 2 bedrooms units for families/individuals where the head of household is 62 and older or disabled. The offer for housing will be based on family composition and bedroom size and may be anywhere in Summit County. When your name reaches the top of the wait list, you will be contacted by phone and given one offer. If you refuse the offer your refusal date will become your new application date for this program. The security deposit is $50.00. All utilities are included for these units.

  • Estimated wait time for this program depends on vacancies.
  • Housing for individuals that is managed and maintained by AMHA. Spicer Terrace is located near
  • the University of Akron. Spicer Terrace consists of 1 bedroom units for youth ages 18 to 25 who are homeless and disabled. When your name reaches the top of the wait list, you will be contacted by phone and given one offer. If you refuse the offer your refusal date will become your new application date for this program. The security deposit is $50.00. All utilities are included for these units

  • Estimated wait time is 24-36 months.
  • This program consists of housing that is owned and operated by private owners/agents. The client will be contacted by the HCVP Department by mail when his/her application comes to the top of the wait list. Once contacted, you will be issued a voucher to search for housing. The voucher is active for 120 days. The voucher holder is responsible for finding housing during this time. Residents of Summit County are able to port (transfer) the voucher to another county or state. Security deposits are determined by the owner/agent and are usually equivalent to rent for one month. Utility responsibility is also determined by the owner/agent.

  • The client will be contacted by the owner/agent once their name reaches the top of the wait list.

Local Preference Points

Local Preference Points are used to establish the order that applicants are placed on our wait
lists. Among applicants with equal preference status, the wait lists will be organized by date and
time.

Choose from the following:

Given to clients living, working, or attending school full time within Summit County.

Given to youth 18 years of age to 24, who are working with Summit County Children Services (SCCS) to overcome or prevent homelessness or families working with SCCS for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the imminent placement of the family’s children in out-of- home care or the delay in the discharge of the children from out-of-home care.

Given to applicants referred by the Full Term First Birthday Greater Akron program, which works to promote healthy full-term pregnancies and ensure every child celebrates a first birthday.

Given to veterans or spouses of veterans. This status is also given to family members of veterans living in the same household.

Given to families that are composed of one of more non-elderly persons aged 18 to 61 with
disabilities who are eligible for services through a partner agency with whom AMHA has executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and are:

  • Transitioning out of an institutional or other segregated setting
  • At serious risk of institutionalization
  • Homeless
  • At risk of becoming homeless, or previously experienced homelessness and are currently a client in a permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing project.

Given to clients who have been involuntarily displaced by government action.

Given to clients who are paying more than 30% of their income for rent and utilities or living in substandard housing.

Given to current supportive housing program participants (Shelter Plus Care, Family Unification Program, and Continuum of Care Permanent Supportive Housing with whom AMHA has executed an MOU) who have volunteered and meet the eligibility requirements to obtain a tenant based housing choice voucher.

Given to disabled families in need of supportive services and with a referral from Community Support Services (specifically for vacancies at Madaline Park and Stoney Pointe). This preference is only available for applicable Project-Based Voucher wait lists.

Given to families that were issued a voucher by AMHA, but the voucher was recalled due to insufficient funding for the HCVP Program. If this preference is utilized, no other preferences will be given.

Given to families that were leased in a unit under HAP contract and the HAP contract was terminated by AMHA due to insufficient funding for the HVCP Program. If this preference is utilized, no other preferences will be given.

How to Apply for Housing

To apply for housing, follow the quickstart guide instructions on the how to apply page.

How To Apply

Once you have submitted the preliminary application, you will be provided with a confirmation number as proof of the date and time of your application. You must keep this confirmation number to check your status in the future. When your name is nearing the top of a waiting list, you will be contacted for an eligibility interview.

You will be able to check your application status at any time by calling our automated status line at 330-252-9284. This status line will inform you of the date of your application, the wait lists you applied for, and the current wait time for those lists.

To be eligible for subsidized housing, the head of household must be at least 18 years of age and your income must be below the following guidelines:

Income Limits

Number of
Persons in Family

Low Income
(Public Housing)

Very Low Income
(HCVP – Section 8)

1

$44,900

$28,050

2

$51,300

$32,050

3

$57,700

$36,050

4

$64,100

$40,050

5

$69,250

$43,300

6

$74,400

$46,500

7

$79,500

$49,700

8

$84,650

$52,900


In addition:

  • If you have previously lived in AMHA housing or have received housing assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) and owe a balance, the balance must be paid in full before we can offer you housing.
  • All adult household members must pass a criminal history background check. Persons with disabilities needing assistance should contact the AMHA RA coordinator at (330) 762-9631.