The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition in Cleveland, Ohio, is expected to give the city a series of recommendations to thwart lead poisoning, Ideastream reports. The coalition has been focused on making homes safe from lead paint, screening children, and helping those who are poisoned.
Mark McDermott, vice president at the housing nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners, said the coalition also hopes to create a fund to help property owners finance improvements to their houses. The fund could also pay to train lead paint inspectors and contractors, McDermott said. He said the coalition plans to talk with foundations, healthcare systems and businesses about contributing.
A different anti-lead poisoning group, Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing, had collected petition signatures to place legislation before the council. The council clerk rejected those petitions because the papers lacked one of two required warnings against false information.
The city of Cleveland set the goal of becoming lead safe by 2028 in January. Studies have estimated that more than 80% of Celveland's housing stock was built before 1978, making residents in those dwellings at risk for lead poisoning. The city announced plans to create a lead-safe-home fund, which will go towards cleaning lead-filled rental properties across the city.
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