About AMHA
Mission Statement
The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority provides quality, affordable housing and services as a platform to develop people, property and community.
Vision Statement
We envision a community that fosters individual development and growth through stable and affordable housing, empowering all to reach their full potential.
People
We envision a community where all have access to health, education and employment opportunities to position themselves out of poverty.
Property
We envision a community where our investments in Summit County stabilize neighborhoods and increase housing opportunities.
Community
We envision a community where minority and low-income families are treated equitably in their access to housing and services.
Message from the Director
The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) is nationally accredited by the Affordable Housing Accreditation Board. AMHA is one of only a handful of nationally accredited agencies out of over 3,000 public housing agencies in the United States. Since our founding in 1938, AMHA has been a leader in providing high-quality affordable housing and services to assist low income citizens in Summit County who cannot afford market rate housing.
I am an advocate for affordable housing both locally and nationally in order to convey the importance of housing as a foundation for improved health in our community, education of our children, and increased opportunity for employment and self-sufficiency.
Increasingly, it is being recognized that stable housing is a right that everyone should have but unfortunately limited resources dictate that we can only serve a fraction of those in need. Through innovation, efficient use of resources and the building of many community partnerships, we seek to meet the needs of our clients and sustain our core mission of offering high-quality affordable housing with support services.
As a public agency we value our mission and those we serve and invite your comments and suggestions through this website and by other means of communication.
Agency Overview
The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority provides affordable housing options to approximately 10,000 households throughout Summit County. Our public housing program consists of over 4000 apartments and single family homes that receive federal rental subsidies for low income families as well as disabled and elderly individuals. In addition, AMHA owns and/or manages over 800 apartments that are federally subsidized and/or financed with low income housing tax credits or tax-exempt bonds. AMHA also administers rental subsidy to over 5,000 households through the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
AMHA works in partnership with many public and private entities to help strengthen our community. By investing in partnerships, we are better able to address the basic needs of our residents and create opportunities for self-sufficiency and a better quality of life. As the need for affordable housing continues to grow, with over 22,000 applicants on our waiting lists, we will continue to invest in education, employment and the needs of the elderly and disabled.
History
The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority was established as a political subdivision of the State of Ohio on January 27, 1938 and is chartered to serve Summit County. Public housing was initially created as a part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” initiative in response to those in need of help during the Great the Depression. However, as the economy began to improve and the defense industry took off during WWII, the focus moved to defense housing to address these new housing demands. Over time, the priorities have fluctuated to address various program needs expressed by the federal government and eventually to where we are today—preserve the current housing stock, improve the quality of life for elderly and disabled individuals and provide a platform to assist those that are able to reach self sufficiency. To read more about our history, please click on the link below:
