City of Cleveland loses funding for its Lead Safe Ohio program
By Joe Frye
Ohio will reclaim roughly $3.3 million in lead-hazard removal funding from the City of Cleveland after officials determined the city failed to spend the majority of the grant within the set timelines.
The money was awarded through the Lead Safe Ohio program, which is administered by the Ohio Department of Development and funded in part by federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars. Cleveland received nearly $5 million to address lead-based paint hazards in older homes.
City officials told members of Cleveland City Council that only about $1.6 million of the grant had been spent before the state moved to reclaim the remaining funds. Those dollars helped remediate 26 homes, with dozens more set to go under remediation. Although a majority were not completed in time to meet program requirements.
According to city development staff, the slow progress was out of their hands. Factors reducing the efficiency of the project was a $15,000 per-home funding cap, which officials said often fell short of covering the full cost of making homes lead-safe.
In many cases, remediation requires extensive repairs and replacements to the home. Administrative hurdles and contractor capacity challenges also contributed to delays.
A spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Development said the reclaimed funds will be redirected to other communities that are positioned to use the money quickly, citing federal spending deadlines.
The funding setback comes as Cleveland continues broader efforts to reduce childhood lead exposure. Local health officials have reported recent declines in elevated blood lead levels among children, though the city still faces challenges due to its many aging houses.