🕊 The Ohio Section 8 Hub
Section 8 Housing in Ohio
Paloma Properties is a new kind of Section 8 landlord launching across Ohio in October 2026. Instead of making you hunt for a landlord who accepts vouchers, we flip the script: you tell us the home you want, and we go buy it. WiFi is on from day one, the paperwork is handled for you, and a concierge answers your texts 24/7 — in English or Spanish.
This page is the statewide starting point. Below you will find the official FY2026 Fair Market Rents for Ohio’s six largest metro counties, a plain-English explainer of how the voucher works, and detailed guides for each city we are launching in.
Updated July 2026 · FY2026 HUD data · Reviewed by the Paloma team
How the Housing Choice Voucher works in Ohio
The Housing Choice Voucher — better known as Section 8 — is the country’s largest rental assistance program. It lets you rent a normal home from a private landlord: you pay roughly 30% of your adjusted income toward rent and utilities, and your local housing authority pays the rest directly to the landlord.
Ohio does not run one statewide program. Each metro area has its own public housing authority with its own waitlist, its own payment standards, and its own timelines. That is why the county you choose matters so much — the same voucher goes much further in Stark County than in Franklin County.
After you receive a voucher, you find a home within local rent limits, the landlord files an RFTA (Request for Tenancy Approval), and the home must pass an HQS (Housing Quality Standards) inspection before you can move in. Paloma handles that entire stretch for its renters.
Chat with Paloma AI — ask anything
FY2026 Fair Market Rents across Ohio
Fair Market Rents are HUD’s official yardstick for every county, refreshed each year. Housing authorities build their payment standards on top of them — typically 90% to 110% of FMR. Here is how Ohio’s six big metro counties compare for FY2026.
| City guide | County | 2BR FMR | 3BR FMR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | Summit County | $1,268 | $1,547 |
| Canton | Stark County | $1,086 | $1,371 |
| Cleveland | Cuyahoga County | $1,279 | $1,646 |
| Columbus | Franklin County | $1,430 | $1,715 |
| Dayton | Montgomery County | $1,273 | $1,651 |
| Toledo | Lucas County | $1,076 | $1,380 |
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents (huduser.gov).
The spread is real: a 2-bedroom FMR runs from $1,086 in Stark County (Canton) up to $1,430 in Franklin County (Columbus), and 3-bedroom FMRs range from $1,371 to $1,715. If your voucher is portable, that difference can change what home you can get. Each city guide below breaks down the full table for its county, from studios to 4-bedrooms.
Pick your city
📍Akron, Ohio
Paloma’s home base. Affordable single-family neighborhoods across Summit County. Read the Akron guide.
📍Canton, Ohio
Stark County’s county seat — some of the lowest voucher-friendly rents in Ohio. Read the Canton guide.
📍Cleveland, Ohio
Cuyahoga County’s huge housing stock, from the city to Parma and Euclid. Read the Cleveland guide.
📍Columbus, Ohio
Ohio’s biggest, fastest-growing market — and its highest FMRs. Read the Columbus guide.
📍Dayton, Ohio
Montgomery County value: sturdy homes that fit comfortably inside voucher limits. Read the Dayton guide.
📍Toledo, Ohio
Lucas County affordability, from the Old West End to Point Place. Read the Toledo guide.
How Paloma is different
Every promise below is the product, not the marketing: it is what we are building Ohio operations around.
🏠Tell us the home you want
Most landlords show you what they have. Paloma works backwards: you describe the home you need across Ohio — bedrooms, area, school zone — and we go find and buy it.
💬Apply in minutes, by chat
No PDFs, no fax machines. Answer a few questions in a text-style chat, snap photos of your documents, and you are done — in English or Spanish.
🥷A concierge that never sleeps
Our AI concierge answers questions, schedules repairs, and takes rent by text 24/7. A real human steps in whenever you want one.
📶WiFi on from day one
Every Paloma home comes with internet already working the day you move in. No installer appointments, no first-month setup fees.
📋RFTA and inspections, handled
We fill out the Request for Tenancy Approval the day you choose a home and prep the house to pass the HQS inspection the first time.
🤝Landlords: sell in 10 days
Own a rental? Paloma makes cash offers in about 10 days, and your tenants can stay. Get a cash offer.
Launching October 2026 — and honest about it
Paloma’s first Ohio homes open in October 2026. We would rather tell you that plainly than pretend there is a unit to tour today. Applying early is free, takes minutes, and puts you first in line — and if you tell us the home you want, we start looking for it now.
Get first pick in Ohio
Paloma opens its doors in October 2026. Join now — it is free — and tell us the home you want us to find for you.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ohio cities will Paloma serve first?
We are starting in Ohio's six big metro counties — Akron (Summit), Canton (Stark), Cleveland (Cuyahoga), Columbus (Franklin), Dayton (Montgomery), and Toledo (Lucas) — beginning October 2026. Each city guide on this page has the local details.
Do Fair Market Rents decide what I pay?
Not directly. FMRs are HUD's yardstick for each county. Your housing authority uses them to set a payment standard, usually between 90% and 110% of FMR. Your own share of the rent is generally about 30% of your adjusted income — the voucher covers the rest, paid straight to the landlord.
Can I use my voucher in a different Ohio county?
Often, yes. The Housing Choice Voucher program allows “portability,” which lets you move your voucher to another housing authority’s area. There are timing rules and paperwork involved, so ask your current housing authority before you plan a move. Paloma can help you compare counties first.
I'm an Ohio landlord. How does the 10-day cash offer work?
Tell us about your property and we make a cash offer in about 10 days — no repairs, no showings, no agent fees. Tenants, including voucher holders, can stay in place after the sale. Start with your address.
What if I don't have a voucher yet?
You can still join Paloma's waitlist — it is free and always open. Vouchers themselves come from your local housing authority, and their waitlists open and close through the year. Getting on both lists early is the smart move.
When does Paloma launch in Ohio?
October 2026. We are honest about that: there is no Paloma home to tour today. But we are buying homes and signing up renters now, so early applicants get first pick — and can even tell us what home to find for them.