If you've been looking into Section 8 in Greater Cleveland, you've probably run into two organizations: CMHA and EDEN. Both administer Housing Choice Vouchers in Cuyahoga County. They're often mentioned in the same breath — but they're separate organizations that serve different populations and work in slightly different ways.
Here's what each one does, who they serve, and which one applies to you.
CMHA — Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
CMHA is the big one. It's the public housing authority for Cuyahoga County, and it administers the largest pool of Housing Choice Vouchers in the region.
Who they serve: Income-qualified families, seniors, and individuals across Cuyahoga County. Anyone meeting the federal income limits for the Housing Choice Voucher program can apply when CMHA opens its waitlist.
How you get a voucher from them: CMHA opens its waitlist periodically (sometimes only once every several years), runs a lottery for applicants, and pulls households off the list as funding becomes available. Once your name comes up, you go through eligibility verification and receive your voucher.
What they cover: Standard Housing Choice Vouchers usable at any landlord that accepts Section 8 in Cuyahoga County (and through portability rules, often beyond).
EDEN, Inc.
EDEN, Inc. is a nonprofit that administers vouchers for permanent supportive housing programs in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. EDEN's vouchers are tied to specific populations — typically people experiencing homelessness, individuals with disabilities, and people transitioning out of institutional settings.
Who they serve: People who have been chronically homeless, individuals with serious mental illness, individuals with substance use disorders, people with HIV/AIDS, veterans experiencing homelessness, and youth aging out of foster care — among other targeted populations.
How you get a voucher from them: EDEN doesn't run an open waitlist like CMHA. Most EDEN vouchers come through referrals — typically from a homeless services agency, a hospital, a treatment program, or another nonprofit working with the population EDEN's voucher is designed to serve.
What they cover: Vouchers tied to permanent supportive housing programs, usually paired with case management and supportive services.
Which one applies to you?
If you're a working family, a senior, or an individual with a moderate income looking for affordable housing, CMHA is your starting point. Apply when their waitlist opens and prepare for a wait — demand is much higher than supply.
If you're currently experiencing homelessness, transitioning out of treatment or incarceration, or working with a social services agency that mentions supportive housing, EDEN may be available to you through your case worker or program coordinator.
In rare cases, voucher holders move between the two programs — but most people stay with the agency that originally issued their voucher.
Both work the same way once you have a voucher
Whether your voucher is from CMHA or EDEN, the actual process of finding a home, submitting an RTA, getting an HQS inspection, and signing a lease works the same way. The voucher pays your landlord directly. You're responsible for your portion of the rent.
The main difference, from a renter's perspective, is just which agency processes your paperwork — CMHA or EDEN.
Both work with us
Every Jarvis Housing home accepts Housing Choice Vouchers, whether the voucher comes from CMHA, EDEN, or another public housing authority. We work through the paperwork, coordinate with your case worker if you have one, and aim to find you a home you can actually settle into. Browse our available homes.