Reentry: Housing

Stable housing is one of the strongest predictors of successful reentry, reducing the risk of recidivism and supporting long-term recovery. The resources below may help individuals locate safe and affordable housing after incarceration. Note, eligibility requirements vary by provider and program.

Finding Housing

Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) provides advocacy and housing-related resources for people experiencing homelessness, including individuals with criminal histories. COHHIO may help connect individuals with shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing programs.
Local Metropolitan Housing Authorities can help individuals apply for affordable housing programs, including public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8). Many Ohio counties, including rural areas, are served by a housing authority or regional agency.
Ohio Housing Locator (OhioHousingLocator.org) is a free statewide service that helps Ohioans search for rental housing by location, rent amount, number of bedrooms, accessibility needs, and other criteria. The site also connects users with rental assistance, affordable housing, and homebuying resources.
Reentry Coalitions operate in many Ohio counties and may assist with locating transitional or affordable housing, connecting individuals with local providers and community support services.
Relink (Relink.org) is a free online resource that helps people connect with a variety of local community resources including housing and other basic needs.

Legal Tools and Rights

If you are concerned that landlords may deny housing because of your criminal history, you may consider applying for a Certificate of Qualification for Housing (CQH). R.C. 2953.26 allows eligible individuals to petition the Court of Common Pleas for a CQH. The CQH is designed to reduce barriers to safe and stable housing for people impacted by the justice system. Under Ohio law, a CQH creates a rebuttable presumption that a person’s criminal convictions alone are insufficient evidence that the person is unfit for housing.
Ohio Legal Help provides plain-language legal information, self-help tools, court forms, and connections to legal and community resources for civil legal issues, including housing.
- Fair Housing in Ohio (on ohiolegalhelp.org) explains protections against housing discrimination based on protected characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex, disability, national origin, familial status, and ancestry. In general, having a criminal record or prior incarceration is not, by itself, a protected characteristic under federal or Ohio fair housing laws. However, housing providers must comply with applicable fair housing requirements when using criminal-history information in housing decisions.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this bench card is a compilation of statutes, court rules, and court decisions in the State of Ohio and it is intended as a summary of the law to assist judges, lawyers, and the general public. The information does not represent binding statements of law by the Supreme Court of Ohio.

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