LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Jeff Ostrow and his wife Kim say the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority has been trying to find them a viable rental unit since July, but each time they get close to lease deal, CMHA leaves them without a place to live.
Jeff Ostrow suffers from a rare disease, leaving him unable to work and his wife lost both legs to infection last spring.
The disabled couple is in desperate need of a first floor rental unit, but even though CMHA approved a $1,200 a month rental voucher, Ostrow said CMHA keeps blowing rental deal, after rental deal.
"If I don't find a place by March 8, I will be booted out of the CMHA system, and basically then what," Ostrow said.
"I've visted CMHA headquarters 30 times, but so far we still have no place to call home."
Ostrow told News 5 he thought he had a rental unit nailed down last month, but said when it came time to give the landlord his approved $1,200 a month voucher, CMHA would only offer $875 a month to the landlord, killing the deal.
Ostrow said CMHA told him they would only offer comparable rental rates from the area near the unit he was trying to rent, but Ostrow believes CMHA didn't accurately calculate the prevailing rental rates for that neighborhood.
"I was appalled, I didn't know what to say," Ostrow said
"It's like $875? They told me the voucher was for $1200."
Ostrow and his wife Kim are now living in his in-law's living room with medical equipment packed into the Lakewood home.
Kim's mother, Carol Haney told News 5 the CMHA system takes too long to inspect rental units and is too slow in getting new rental units up to bat when a deal falls through.
"It's terrible, It's terrible that they treat people like that," Haney said.
"It take so long to get the inspection, and then when it's inspected, if there's a little violation, it takes a while to get that fixed."
News 5 contacted CMHA about this case, and it issued the following statement:
"CMHA continues to work with the Ostrows to identify additional housing that would meet their needs."
"We met with Mr. Ostrow earlier today to discuss various options, and we are confident that they will find appropriate housing."
"The Housing Choice Voucher Program is designed to provide rental assistance to help families afford safe rental housing."
"CMHA provides the voucher to the family so that the family can choose where they want to live."
"The housing selected by a family is then evaluated and inspected, and, if consistent with program standards, rent offers are made considering family size, family income, and location and size of the unit."
"CMHA will continue working with the Ostrows, as well as all Housing Choice Voucher Program participants, to find safe, quality, and affordable housing opportunities in the communities we serve."
