Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority — Local services in Cleveland

Based on my experience with renting to a voucher holder from CMHA, I will never go this route again. I rented two apartments in a duplex to CMHA voucher holders and had to evict both tenants within a year. The tenant upstairs totally wrecked the place and had a whole generation of family members move in that was way more than the number of occupants stated on the lease. Even though the home was approved by CMHA inspectors, once they moved in, the tenant started making all types of demands to upgrade the unit including a HVAC system, screens on the doors, etc and called CMHA to inspect the property to cause it to fail since it was lacking these five star hotel upgrades! Once it fails, the rent stops and they start leaving for free! They left the place a mess and destroyed brand new appliances, flooring and paint on the walls. The tenant downstairs cut off all communication once she moved in and never paid 50% of the water bill as per the lease agreement. Even though she wasn't making any payments, she also demanded upgrades, which CMHA allowed causing the property to fail. CMHA is powerless to make their tenants adhere to the lease and do not take their vouchers away even if you have to file an eviction. If you are thinking of renting to a CMHA tenant, you better have extra money to pay the mortgage for at least 6 months while the eviction is pending in a court system that is super pro-tenant. They also get a free attorney to drag it out in court. Once you get the property back, it will be trashed so you will need more funds to renovate. Lesson learned! Stay away from CMHA and go with a cash...

All I'm going to say is that all of the bad/negative review are correct. I have dealt with one person who was nice. One time they messed up my paperwork, made it out to be my fault, and when I proved that it wasn't my fault, they made me go through an appeal and acted like I "have one more chance" to get it right. Please keep all of your email and correspondences with them. I wish they would all just quit. Maybe they should go work for the city where helping people isn't a priority. How is it ok to work for an organization that sole purpose is to help people, but then treat those people like complaint line callers and pest. They are so rude. If I'm being honest, this has been the least safe I have felt in a while. From having to sleep in my car to really considering if I want to go on with my life at all and its not getting any easier. I am so tired of struggling, I have been passed up by so many landlords, and I just want to die right now.

CMHA, you people are horrible and should be ashamed of yourselves. We are not trying to get housing for fun. All of us are struggling and a lot of us (like me) are disabled. I hate you CMHA.

EDIT

Its been a couple weeks since I reviewed last and my position remains. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go somewhere else if you can. At least apply to multiple housing assistance organizations. I want my people who need help, who are poor, who are at the bottom to get the help they need. They don't even answer phones here. Please don't depend on them...

When a client calls the main number to inquire about information on apartments as well other programs CMHA offers. It is sad to stay on hold and you are number 40 in line to speak to a representative that works for CMHA to have an attitude. If anything the customer that is on hold waiting to speak to someone and you are on hold for more than thirty minutes. That person could be upset. However I was not because I needed information and assistance. So when I was on the phone with a middle-age black woman. All she gave me was attitude. I even tried to be as nice as I could and pull her into me because in her voice and the answers to the questions I was asking seem to irritate her and she really did not want to do the job she applied for ,& received. I am not sure if the calls are monitored. It would be nice if they are. Just know the clients / customers that call and spend thirty minutes to an hour on hold waiting & anticipating to speak to a CMHA representative. The last thing we want on the other end of the phone is a nasty employee that really does not want to work for CMHA. In this economy with so much struggle the last thing a person needs is to be talked to snapped at. Tables turn quicklyv& Karma is real. Treat people like you would like...