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CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH -- Cleveland Heights announces it will expand its lead abatement program in 2025 with an investment of $400,000 in ARPA grant funds the city received from the federal government.
Cleveland Heights is already a leader in the clean-up of lead in older homes and apartments, accounting for a quarter of all of Cuyahoga County’s lead abatement cases closed in 2024.
“We’re excited to expand on an already impactful lead abatement program and help more Cleveland Heights residents stay in their homes with the peace of mind that lead has been removed,” said Mayor Seren. “Cleveland Heights is a model for how government works at all levels. We’re directing resources from the federal government to provide a housing repair program that is helping residents achieve a piece of the American dream, in this case, without the scourge of lead. Kudos to our Housing Preservation Office for tripling its lead clearance rate in 2024.”
The City is making the funds available in the form of $20,000 grants for owner-occupied housing and $12,000 for landlords to remediate lead in apartments. The assistance is available to landlords who comply with the City’s lead registration program, which requires landlords to test for and complete lead abatement and confirm it with a clearance test. Interested landlords should contact the City at leadcertification@clevelandheights.gov.
A provision in the Cleveland Heights Lead Safe Ordinance adopted by City Council in 2022 requires landlords to file a property’s Lead Safe Certificate with the City. The deadline for properties within the first and second geographies required to file a certificate is July 1, 2025. Notifications will be sent to landlords in this group in February.
In addition to renewing funding for the program, the City will expand eligibility for homeowners who earn 120% of Area Median Income (AMI) from the previous income level of 80% of AMI.
The City is also expanding uses of the program to include repairs under its Healthy Home program: A $100,000 portion of the $400,000 for lead will be available for making home environments healthier, for example, by improving indoor air quality. Removing or encasing lead-painted windows will be one area targeted for these funds.
“The city completed $600,000 in lead abatement projects last year when we typically complete around $200,000 in cases,” said Brian Iorio, Assistant Director of Cleveland Heights Department of Community Development, which oversees HUD Community Development Block Grants that the City receives annually and awards for housing and infrastructure repairs. “This year’s program funding is about three times higher thanks to the City’s ARPA funds.”
Zach Ravanelli, who oversees the Cleveland Heights Lead Safe Program, explains how the city became a leader in lead abatement.
“Word of mouth (among tenants and landlords) is huge,” he said. “Credit the City’s Lead Safe Ordinance. It helps redirect landlords to the program.”
The program works this way: If a child under the age of five tests positive, it’s reported to the County Board of Health, which makes a referral to Cleveland Heights. The City then conducts site visits and writes specs for contractors to conduct the lead abatement work.
Building a lead safe program, Ravanelli said, has had real impact on the lives of Cleveland Heights residents.
“I’m involved from start to finish,” he said, adding, “The impact is tremendous. We’re providing kids a chance at a better future. Lead steals so much; a little bit can do such damage.”
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