Ohio Receives More Than $25M to Combat Lead Hazards

Four Ohio cities and counties were allocated a combined $25.5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address homes with lead hazards, The Plain Dealer reports. The allocations for Summit County, Cuyahoga County, the city of Akron, and the city of Cleveland coincide with the National Lead Poisoning Prevention week.

Akron received $4 million for lead-hazard control in 250 homes and $600,000 for “healthy homes” assessments in 115 housing units.

Summit County received $5 million to provide lead-hazard control in 250 housing units and $600,000 to perform assessments in 200 homes. Both the city and county will work in partnership with medical and social-service providers.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said about 70,000 homes, or about 85% of Akron’s housing units, were built before lead paint was banned for residential use in 1978.

“A safe and healthy home is one of life’s most basic necessities and these federal funds will help improve the quality of life for our residents and protect those healthy families, especially children, by removing those lead hazards from those spaces, not only where they live, but where they play, too,” Horrigan said.

Greta Johnson, assistant chief of staff for Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro, said nearly one-third of the housing stock in the county was built before 1940, and more than three-quarters before 1978.