The Fair Housing Center is proud to announce a major milestone in expanding access to stable housing opportunities in our community. On May 12, 2025, a Lucas County judge granted the first known Certificate of Qualification for Housing (CQH) in the county under Ohio House Bill 50. The petition was officially filed on May 13, 2025, marking an important step forward for fair housing and second chances in northwest Ohio.
The Fair Housing Center successfully assisted the client through the CQH petition process, helping secure a legal tool designed to reduce housing barriers for individuals impacted by the justice system.
Effective September 20, 2024, Ohio’s CQH law was created to help individuals with criminal records access housing opportunities. A CQH establishes a legal presumption that a person’s past criminal convictions alone should not be enough to deny them housing unless there is clear evidence that doing so is necessary. The law also provides important protections for landlords by offering immunity in certain negligent leasing claims when they rent to someone with a CQH.
“This case demonstrates the importance of removing unnecessary barriers to housing,” said George Thomas, CEO and General Counsel at The Fair Housing Center. “Stable housing supports successful reentry, employment, family stability, and safer communities. We are proud to help make this new legal remedy accessible in Lucas County.”
In granting the petition, the Court found that the client demonstrated a substantial need for housing relief and that issuing the certificate would not pose an unreasonable risk to public safety.
The Fair Housing Center also recognizes Staff Attorney Noah Woods for his work in securing this outcome and helping raise awareness of the CQH process among community members, housing providers, and advocates.
Anyone interested in learning more about Certificates of Qualification for Housing can visit the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction at drc.ohio.gov. At this time, The Fair Housing Center is not actively accepting CQH cases for representation. This case was pursued to better understand and establish the local petition process, with the goal of evaluating future clinic models, community partnerships, and other approaches that could help expand access to CQHs at a larger scale in the future.
