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Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority
Official application routes, service-area details, contact information, and HUD-reported program data for this Cincinnati housing agency.
Independent directory: CalculateBenefits is not CMHA or HUD. Recorded source-check date for the agency-specific details below: 2026-11-02.
Is the Cincinnati Section 8 waiting list open?
As of Nov. 2, 2026, CMHA's website said the list was closed.
Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
Closed
What the agency's site said on Nov. 2, 2026. See the notice →
Public housing
Open — limited Some sites only (year-round)
What the agency's site said on Nov. 2, 2026. See the notice →
Waiting lists open and close without much notice. Applying is free; only CMHA can take an application or tell you your place on a list.
Start with the official agency
Visit the official CMHA website →
Housing applications and waiting-list registration are free. A third party cannot guarantee approval or move you ahead on a waiting list.
What this agency serves
CMHA provides affordable housing to low-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities in Hamilton County, Ohio. Its public housing properties are spread throughout Hamilton County.
- Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
- Public housing (Asset Management)
- Project-Based Vouchers
- Touchstone Property Services housing
- Family Self-Sufficiency Program
Housing Choice Voucher application
CMHA takes voucher pre-applications online only during an application period. Families are picked by a random lottery to go on the list. CMHA sends later messages by email.
What CMHA said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check CMHA's official site or call for the current status.
Public housing application
You create an account on CMHA's Rent Café portal (myinfo.cintimha.com) and fill out a short preliminary application. You pick the properties you want. Your application goes on the list for your bedroom size.
What CMHA said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check CMHA's official site or call for the current status.
Income limits for Hamilton County
HUD fiscal year 2026 limits (pulled July 27, 2026) for Hamilton County, where CMHA's main office is.
| Household | 30% (extremely low) | 50% (very low) | 80% (low) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,100 | $38,500 | $61,550 |
| 2 people | $26,400 | $44,000 | $70,350 |
| 3 people | $29,700 | $49,500 | $79,150 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $54,950 | $87,900 |
Section 8 vouchers generally use the 50% limit, and agencies must give most new vouchers to families at or below 30%; families up to 50% can still qualify. The 80% limit applies to public housing. Limits differ by county; use the income-limit checker for the county you live in.
Source: HUD income limits. Check 5 to 8 people or another county →
Other help in Cincinnati
Heat and utility bills
Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency (HEAP) · (513) 685-4478
Runs Ohio's home energy help (HEAP Winter Crisis Program and PIPP PLUS) for Hamilton County. Schedule an appointment online or by phone, and bring income papers.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Food
Freestore Foodbank · 513-357-4600
The Cincinnati-area food bank. It shares food through partner pantries and its own sites. See its upcoming food distributions list or call its Customer Connection Center.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Facing eviction
Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati · (513) 241-9400
Free civil legal help for low-income people, including help if you face eviction. Call to ask for help.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Everything else
United Way of Greater Cincinnati 211 · 211
Dial 211 to talk with someone who can connect you to local help with food, rent, utilities and more. Serves Hamilton County and nearby counties.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
These are separate organizations, not CMHA and not CalculateBenefits.
Contact CMHA before you visit
General inquiries: (513) 721-4580
Central office: 1627 Western Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45214
Housing Choice Voucher line: (513) 977-5800
HCV office: 1635 Western Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45214
Published hours: HCV customer service: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
CMHA says it does most of its business online. Call the HCV Customer Service Line at (513) 977-5800 before you go to the office. Its posted hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
From CalculateBenefits, not CMHA
Waiting-list news by email
Get our free emails. If this agency's main Section 8 waiting list opens and we see it, we email the people who signed up here. Some lists close before we can send. To sign up, you take our free benefits check. You give your name and email and answer a few questions. A phone step is optional. Then you see offers from partners. Your information may be shared with or sold to marketing partners. They may also contact you (how we use it). Signing up does not apply for housing or put you on any waiting list.
Because you've turned on a privacy opt-out, we don't offer this sign-up here. Check the agency's own site for openings.
Before and after you apply
- For public housing, have an email address, the names and ages of everyone in your home, and your yearly household income ready. CMHA says the first application takes about 20 minutes.
- If CMHA picks you from a waiting list, it emails you and asks for a full application. CMHA then checks income and background.
- Tell CMHA in writing if your mailing address changes. Keep using the same email address you applied with, and answer CMHA's requests by the deadline, or your application can be withdrawn.
- To see if you are still on a list, log in at myinfo.cintimha.com and click "Wait List Status." You are active if it says "On List."
- CMHA says the wait for a voucher after you are placed on the list can be 6 months to 3 years.
Documents CMHA asks applicants to have ready
- A computer with internet access
- An active email account
- The names and ages of everyone in your household
- Your annual household income
From CMHA's published guidance. Ask the agency if you are missing something; do not wait to call.
HUD-reported assistance
These figures are HUD reporting-data snapshots, not a count of openings. Equal inventory and occupied counts do not prove that no future opening is possible. Waiting-list status comes from CMHA, not this dataset.
HUD public housing designation: Standard Performer. Standard Performer means the agency met HUD's overall and individual-indicator minimums but did not qualify as a High Performer. It is an operating assessment, not a customer-review rating.
HUD directory dataset retrieved 2026-07-20; record last updated 2026-04-07. Read the data methods and limitations.
Agency and data sources
Related: All Ohio housing agencies · Ohio income limits and Fair Market Rents · How Housing Choice Vouchers work · Section 8 waiting lists at large agencies.