Who We Are

The Tuscarawas Metropolitan Housing Authority (TMHA) is a public nonprofit service corporation, created in 1971 by the State of Ohio Board of Housing, under Ohio Revised Code 3735.27. ORC defines how a housing authority is organized, governed, and audited. TMHA is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners, appointed to five-year terms by the following entities:

County Commissioners (1 member),
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas (1 member),
Judge of Probate Court, (1 member)
Largest city in the jurisdiction (New Philadelphia - 2 members).

Original founding board members of TMHA were Mr. Robert B. White, Jr., Mr. Lewis H Brown, Mr. Glessner Lechner, Mr. Paul Simpson, and Mr. Luther Cato.

Many forward thinking and dedicated citizens have served on the TMHA Board of Commissioners over the years. Founding member Luther Cato had a strong vision for the role of TMHA in Tuscarawas County, and served on the board until his death in 1997.

See the Board of Commissioners section for current board appointees.

TMHA is a contract administrator for U.S. Housing & Urban Development (HUD). The authority’s biggest program is the HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.
TMHA also administrates the Family Self Sufficiency program for Section 8 families who wish to enhance their income through employment, and want to establish an escrow savings account.
Beginning in 2002, TMHA took over management of Clay Village Apartments in Uhrichsville, a multi- family 40-unit apartment complex serving low-income families through the Rural Development (formerly FmHA) 515 subsidy program.

TMHA Staff | Board of Commissioners

Staff

Elain Yenni - Executive Director
Elain Yenni joined the staff of the Tuscarawas Metropolitan Housing Authority in 1997. She became the Executive Director on October 1, 2022.

TMHA also operates a side-by-side non-profit known as Tuscarawas Affordable Housing Services which owns and operates a 40 unit apartment complex in Uhrichsville, Ohio known as Clay Village Apartments. Ms. Yenni also serves as the President of Tuscarawas Affordable Housing Services.

Martin Howell - Fiscal Administrator
Martin Howell joined the staff of the Tuscarawas Metropolitan Housing Authority in 1992 and currently serves as the Fiscal Administrator.

Sarah West - FSS Coordinator
Sara West originally joined the TMHA staff in June 2009 as an Occupancy Specialist. She became the the FSS/Homeownership Coordinator in November of 2016.

Angela Starkey - FSS Coordinator
Angela Starkey joined the TMHA staff in August 2023 as a second FSS/Homeownership Coordinator.

Terry Brugger - HQS Inspector
Terry Brugger joined the staff of the Tuscarawas Metropolitan Housing Authority in June, 2009. He is serving as the TMHA HQS Inspector, in charge of TMHA's inspection program to determine if rental units placed on the Section 8 program meet HUD's Housing Quality Standards (HQS).

Mike Wolfarth - HQS Inspector
Mike Wolfarth joined the staff of the Tuscarawas Metropolitan Housing Authority in June of 2024 and shares the HQS Inspection duties.

Nan Hill - Occupancy Specialist
Nan Hill joined the staff of the Tuscarawas Metropolitan Housing Authority in January, 2017. She serves at an Occupancy Specialist, responsible for maintaining HCV Participant records.

Nancy Burger - Occupancy Specialist Assistant
Nancy Burger joined the staff of the Tuscarawas Metropolitan Housing Authority in June, 2022. She serves at an Occupancy Specialist Asstant, by being the liason between the Occupancy Specialist, other staff, participants, applicants and landlords.

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Tuscarawas MHA Board of Commissioners

Robert Gribble II - Chairperson [Probate Court appointee]

Jill Lengler - Vice-Chair [Mayor of New Philadelphia's appointee]

Carol Penix - Commissioner [Court of Common Pleas appointee]

Dean Holland - Commissioner [Mayor of New Philadelphia's appointee]

Brooke Yates - Commissioner [Tuscarawas County Commissioners appointee]

The TMHA Board of Commissioners holds regular public meetings on the second Tuesday of every other month, beginning in January. Meetings are held in the Claudia A. Duerr Conference room in the TMHA office building at 134 Second St. SW in New Philadelphia