Kaptur: Erie County Health Department Awarded $3.8 Million to Identify and Remove Lead Paint Hazards
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) and Erie County Health Department Health Commissioner Peter Schade announced today that the Erie County Health Department will be awarded $3,828,430.00. The funding will be awarded through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes grant programs. The Erie County Health Department will use the funds to identify and remove lead-based paint hazards in 170 Erie and Lorain Counties homes constructed before 1978.
"I am incredibly pleased to announce that the Erie County Health Department has been awarded nearly four million dollars to address the effects of lead-based paints in many homes," saidRep. Kaptur. "The risks posed by exposure to lead-based paint are of serious concern, presenting a significant threat to the health and safety of families in our communities. This funding will work to ensure the Health Department can continue its vital work of preventing avoidable tragedies resulting from lead paint exposure. Importantly, this grant reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that children do not have to grow up in homes where they are exposed to the harmful effects of lead paint."
"Lead hazards in our community must be eliminated," said Health Commissioner Peter Schade. "They present a clear and measurable danger to our children's intellectual and physical health, taking a toll on our culture and society as a whole. The Erie County Board of Health looks forward to continuing this fight for healthier homes, by narrowing the gap of environmental injustice. We applaud the federal government for recognizing this local need."
Since 2016, when the Erie County Health Department received a similar grant, it has rendered approximately 90 homes lead safe in Erie and Lorain Counties. As a continuation of the first award, this grant will expand the agency's ability to resolve lead paint exposure issues collaboratively with local partners, including: City of Sandusky, City of Lorain, Erie County Regional Planning, Erie County Community Health Center, Lorain County Health Department and General Health District, and the Erie and Lorain County Metropolitan Housing Authorities.
The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control (LBPHC) and Healthy Homes grant programs were instituted to identify and control lead-based paint risks in homes in low- and moderate-income households where children under 6 years of age and pregnant women reside. The LBPHC funds are used to identify and remove lead paint hazards, and the Healthy Homes funds are used to remove other qualifying hazards in approved lead projects. More information on these programs can be found here.
Residents in Erie and Lorain Counties who wish to apply for lead testing or removal services in their homes may contact Erie County Health Department application intake specialist, Chris Stelzer, at cstelzer@echdohio.org or (419) 626-5623.