Lead Safety Pays

If you are a homeowner (owner occupied) or a rental property owner of one or more properties in the city of Cleveland, you may qualify for Lead Safe home funding, even if you are not a current resident. Minimum eligibility requirements include, but are not limited to:

• Property must have been built before 1978 and located within the city of Cleveland
• Property owners must have current rental registration issued by the City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing
• Property owners must provide proof of ownership and be current on all property taxes or have a payment plan in place
• A financial contribution is required to receive Lead Safe loans and is applied toward the cost of your Lead Safe project to be used in addition to your approved funding amount

The loans and grants are available to owners of residential properties built before 1978 in Cleveland.

If you own or rent one or more properties in the city of Cleveland, you may qualify for Lead Safe home funding, even if you are not a current resident. Minimum eligibility requirements include, but are not limited to:

• Property must have been built before 1978 and located within the city of Cleveland
• Property owners must have current rental registration issued by the City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing
• Property owners must provide proof of ownership and be current on all property taxes or have a payment plan in place
• A financial contribution is required to receive Lead Safe loans and is applied toward the cost of your Lead Safe project to be used in addition to your approved funding amount

All residential property owners in the city of Cleveland may utilize a combination of financial products to cover Lead Safe project costs.

Grants are available for up to $12,000 per project or unit, with a maximum of 12 grants per property owner. The amount of grant funding you are eligible to receive is based on the current 120% AMI (Area Median Income) rate. Homeowners with an income below 120% AMI are eligible to receive the maximum amount per project or unit ($12,000), while property owners with an income above 120% AMI can secure up to $4,500 per project or unit. No down payment is required to receive Lead Safe grant funding. Property owners who accept a Lead Safe grant or grants in the amount greater than $2,000 to remediate a given property must agree to cap future rent increases for existing tenants associated with that specific property to no more than three percent (3%) per year for two (2) years.

If total Lead Safe project costs exceed the funding awarded amount, additional funds will need to be provided by the applicant in order to complete the project. Loans are available through CHN Housing Partners for up to $7,500 each and are subject to the standard loan underwriting process, with no limit on the number of loans a property owner may utilize. All loan applicants must contribute a minimum of 10 percent of the total loan amount in cash as a down payment on all Lead Safe projects. Lead Safe Loan Incentives are also available through CHN Housing Partners and can be applied toward the down payment.

In addition, rental property owners may receive incentives of $1,000 per 20-year lead-free exemption or $750 for every Lead Safe Certification (max of 12 properties per zip code or 50 total). These incentives are available through the Lead Safe Resource Center and are for rental property owners who’ve complied with the lead safe certification law and received a certification or 20-year exemption.

Eligible repairs include lead interim control improvements, such as remediation and clearance. You may also receive funding for repainting or paint film stabilization, surface treatments to minimize friction or prevent impact, replacement or covering of painted components and bare soil, along with the sampling, specialized cleaning, and clearance of lead dust.

After you are approved for funding, CHN Housing Partners’ Construction Management team will award your Lead Safe home construction project and related work to a pre-approved contractor. CHN pays all contractors and inspectors directly based on approved project funding.

Before services can be provided, a trained and program-certified inspector under contract or direct employment with CHN will visit each property to determine what lead repairs are needed to earn Lead Safe Certification. If an inspection reveals hazardous conditions that would prevent lead-related work from being completed safely, that work cannot be completed until all unsafe conditions are corrected.

Loan options are available through CHN Housing Partners for Lead Safe project costs that exceed the maximum awarded grant amount.

Beginning March 31, 2021, all residential rental units constructed before January 1, 1978 must have lead-safe certification from the Director of Building and Housing according to a schedule established by the Director. All units must be certified by March 31, 2023. Owners of the rental units are to provide the Director with a copy of a Clearance Examination Report or Lead Risk Assessment verifying that lead hazards were not identified in the unit(s).

Unlike previous grant funding, where property owner eligibility was determined by tenant income, grant eligibility as part of the Lead Safe Home Fund is determined by property owner or property owner income, not tenant income.

CHN Housing Capital can make no representation as to whether the grant or incentive amounts you receive may be considered taxable income, now or in the future. CHN Housing Capital is also unable to determine the outcome of the next property tax assessment.

Any questions about income taxes should be directed to your tax preparer, while inquiries regarding your property tax assessments should be shared with the office of the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer.

Yes! Please contact CHN Housing Partners directly at 844-614-LEAD (5323) or Lead@chnhousingpartners.org for more information.

Lead is an environmental toxin that affects the brain, heart, bones, kidneys, and nervous system. Lead poses prenatal risks as well, such as miscarriage, malformations, reduced fetal growth, premature birth, stillbirth, and low birth weight. Even low levels of lead exposure can cause neurological damage and impact academic performance due to impaired memory and executive function, depression, anxiety, or hyperactivity.

Despite being 100 percent preventable, lead poisoning impacts one (1) in four (4) Kindergarteners within the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD). Because the effects of lead poisoning are irreversible, it is crucial to prevent childhood lead exposure before harm occurs by removing lead hazards. Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in older buildings are by far the most common form of lead exposure for children in Cleveland.

If you are applying for grants or loans for multiple properties or units as part of the Lead Safe Home Fund, you must complete one application per home or rental unit. The following items are required with each submitted application:

• A government-issued photo ID for yourself and every member of your household over the age of 18
• Proof of income in the form of your federal tax returns for the last two (2) years and 30 days of pay stubs for yourself and all individuals in your household over the age of 18
• Proof of property or homeowner’s insurance
• A signed lease agreement (if an occupied rental unit)
• Proof of current rental registration issued by the City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing (if applicable)

If you are only applying for the $750 lead safe certification incentives or $1,000 20-year exemption contact the Lead Safe Resource Center at 833.601.5323 for more details about the application and required documentation.

Email your finished application to lead@chnhousingpartners.org or submit it in person via the Lead Services dropbox located on the first (1st) floor of the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition office at 2999 Payne Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114.

Once Lead Safe funding has been awarded, CHN will assign your project to a qualified inspector. After the initial review, your inspector will explain the work that needs to be done to your property to receive Lead Safe Certification before completing the necessary documentation.

Next, our team will assign the contractor that will be performing the Lead Safe work on your home. This contractor will inform you of the project schedule. Upon completion, an inspector will return to your home to ensure that the work was executed correctly before performing a final clearance inspection.

Following a passed clearance inspection, it is the responsibility of the property owner or property owner to obtain their Lead Safe Certificate from the City of Cleveland.

Speak directly with the Lead Team at CHN Housing Partners by joining a digital Property Owner Q&A Session! CHN hosts virtual sessions on the second (2nd) Friday of every month to answer your questions, share updates, and provide information about the Lead Safe Certification process. Email lead@chnhousingpartners.org to receive an invitation!