Cleveland - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded nearly $45 million across the State of Ohio including $9.7 million to the City of Cleveland, the largest grant amount awarded to the top five grantees.
Nationally, HUD awarded a record investment of more than $314 million to 77 state and local government agencies including more than $5 million to six tribal communities to protect children and families in low-income households from lead-based paint and home health hazards. Many of the grantees announced today will work to clean up lead hazards in Opportunity Zones.
The City of Cleveland was awarded $9,100,000 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction grant program funding and $600,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding. The City will address lead hazards in 493 housing units providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children. The City will also perform healthy homes assessments in 120 units, and work with other medical and social service providers.
This week, we are commemorating National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and the theme is, “Get the Facts; Get Your Home Tested; and Get Your Child Tested.” This annual national public health education campaign comes as HUD awarded more than $314 million to state and local government agencies for lead hazard reduction and healthy homes hazards, and $2 million to research organizations for lead safety research. HUD also awarded $5 million to address home health and safety hazards in six tribal communities, and $6 million for research on improving ways to identify and control these hazards in all homes.
“Awareness of potential sources of lead poisoning, some which may be totally overlooked, and how to control them, is critical,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. He added, “For homes built before 1978, getting homes and children tested for lead are the vital next steps. We are committed to improving the lives of all families, especially children, by creating safer and healthier homes. One of HUD’s priorities is protecting families from lead-based paint and other health hazards. These grants will help states, tribes, and local communities do precisely that.”
“We at HUD understand the importance of the intersection between health and housing and are deeply committed to protecting families and children across the City of Cleveland and the State of Ohio so they can reach their God given potential,” said HUD Midwest Regional Administrator Joseph P. Galvan. “We are proud to make his funding announcement and support the community as we recognize the importance of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week; For homes built before 1978, getting homes and children tested for lead are the vital next steps.”
“Lead poisoning affects all of us and the costs of lead poisoning are high—to our children, our families, and our community,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “Cleveland’s families deserve better and our goal is to find solutions that will work today, tomorrow, and well into the future.”
“I welcome this federal grant aimed at the Glenville neighborhood which has been heavily impacted by lead contamination,” said Councilman Kevin Conwell who represents the Glenville area. “This infusion of capital will help to protect the most vulnerable among us.”
“We are excited to see that resources are being provided to support our comprehensive efforts to make Cleveland Lead Safe,” said Councilman Blaine Griffin. “We hope others from the private and philanthropic sectors will also make similar investments in our families and children.”
The Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program grants include $30 million in HUD’s Healthy Homes Supplemental funding to help communities address housing-related health and safety hazards, in addition to lead-based paint hazards. Seven local communities were awarded grants to help their ‘High Impact Neighborhood’ where they will conduct lead hazard control and healthy homes work intensively in a targeted neighborhood impacted by poor housing conditions. HUD’s new tribal grants fill critical needs in communities where limited resources exist to address substandard housing that threatens the health of the most vulnerable tribal residents.
Combined, these investments will protect families and children by targeting health hazards in more than 14,700 low-income homes with significant lead and health hazards for which other resources are not available to address these needs.
“HUD understands the close connection between health and housing,” said Matthew Ammon, Director of HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. “This year, HUD is awarding a record number of awards to jurisdictions to directly support their efforts to identify and clean up housing-based health hazards like lead and mold.”
HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes promotes local efforts to eliminate dangerous lead paint and other housing-related health hazards from lower income homes; stimulates private sector investment in lead hazard control; supports cutting-edge research on methods for assessing and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards; and educates the public about the dangers of hazards in the home. Read a complete project-by-project summary of the programs awarded grants today.
Lead Hazard Reduction in Opportunity Zones
Created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Opportunity Zones aim to stimulate long-term investments in low-income communities by offering significant capital gains tax relief to those who invest in these distressed areas. This initiative is anticipated to spur $100 billion in private capital investment in Opportunity Zones. Incentivizing investment in low-income communities fosters economic revitalization, job creation, and promotes sustainable economic growth across the nation, especially in communities HUD serves. Applicants seeking funding under HUD’s Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes Production Grant Program for Tribal Housing receive bonus points to further drive public investment to these areas.
Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program
OHIO Grantee
Lead Hazard Control
Healthy Homes
Total Amount
City of Cleveland*+
$9,100,000
$600,000
$9,700,000
City of Columbus
$5,000,000
$600,000
$5,600,000
Mahoning County
$4,000,000
$600,000
$4,600,000
County of Erie (OH)
$3,478,430
$350,000
$3,828,430
Cuyahoga County +
$5,000,000
$600,000
$5,600,000
City of Canton
$3,000,000
$300,000
$3,300,000
City of Akron +
$4,000,000
$600,000
$4,600,000
Summit County +
$5,000,000
$600,000
$5,600,000
City of Lima
$2,000,000
$2,000,000
OHIO TOTAL:
$40,578,430
$4,250,000
$44,828,430
NATIONAL TOTAL
$283,874,569
$30,382,290
$314,256,859
Photo by: Kyle Cornell / WTAM 1100
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