Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition Launches Lead Hazard Relocation Assistance Pilot

Nov 17, 2025

LEAD SAFE CLEVELAND COALITION LAUNCHES LEAD SAFE RELOCATION ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM TO HELP FAMILIES DISPLACED BY LEAD HAZARDS

CLEVELAND -- The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition (LSCC) has selected Environmental Health Watch (EHW) to administer an important new pilot program that will provide relocation assistance to families who have been displaced by lead hazards, poisoning and related legal issues. The Lead Safe Relocation Assistance pilot program was created to fill a gap in services for families who cannot live in their homes because of the presence of lead hazards or during repair of lead hazards. The goal is to serve 100 families until June 30, 2026.

The process is simple: Families complete a short application or questionnaire, and if an urgent housing need is identified, EHW can help place them immediately. The Lead Safe Relocation Assistance program provides access to short-term hotel lodging, and in some cases, alternative housing solutions for families that are at risk of being displaced. Temporary relocation options can be provided for rental properties where the owner is actively working to address lead hazards that can be resolved through remediation or abatement. Alternative housing will be pursued in cases where a home is condemned or otherwise deemed uninhabitable due to lead hazards or related legal issues, such as if a rental property owner fails to take necessary action.

“The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition chose Environmental Health Watch, through an RFP process, to create the Relocation Assistance program because the organization has a strong track record of serving Cleveland families who have been affected by lead. Through operating the Lead Safe Resource Center, EHW understands what families need and how best to serve them if they’ve had their lives turned upside down because of lead hazards in their homes,” said Wyonette Cheairs, Associate Director, Programs, Enterprise Community Partners and Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition Member.

The program provides critical wrap around support including:

Funding to cover first month’s rent, security deposit, storage rental and movers
Housing search assistance
Cost of living stipends
Emergency transportation
Cleaning supplies
Case management and referrals to services
Lead poisoning prevention education

Kim Foreman leads Environmental Health Watch. She says, “the Lead Safe Relocation Assistance program is an important service to provide because lead remediation is sometimes not a quick or easy fix.”

Lead is a pervasive problem in Cleveland. 90% of Cleveland’s housing stock was built before lead paint was banned in 1978. Rental properties in the city built before 1978 are required to prove that their dwelling units are safe from lead hazards. To date, more than 25,000 rental properties have been certified lead-safe through the City of Cleveland’s program.

Already, 21 families have already received assistance, with several additional families in the application pipeline. One of the first families to benefit was the Gunn family. Janeese Gunn, a Cleveland mother of six, learned that her rental home contained lead hazards while she was already caring for children with serious health needs, including a son on dialysis and awaiting a kidney transplant. After exhausting her savings on temporary housing, the Lead Safe Relocation Assistance program stepped in to provide immediate support and help her family move into a safe home.

“When we learned there was lead in our home, it felt overwhelming — our kids already have serious health needs, and we had nowhere safe to go. The Relocation Assistance program gave us stability when we needed it most. The move was simple, the support was incredible, and now we finally have a safe, comfortable place that feels like home,” Gunn said.

Dr. David Margolius, Director of Public Health for the City of Cleveland, praised the program. “Lead is a dangerous environmental toxin with no safe levels in the bloodstream, causing serious and lasting damage to children’s brain, heart, bones, kidneys, and nervous system. The Relocation Assistance program fills a critical gap in our care for children and their families affected by lead poisoning. I am so grateful to Environmental Health Watch, the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition, Cleveland’s Department of Community Development, and Cleveland City Council for coming together to meet this need.”

For more information, residents can contact the Lead Safe Hotline at 833-601-LEAD (5323) or visit the Lead Safe Resource Center, located at 4600 Euclid Ave., 3rd floor, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Thursday or visit https://leadsafecle.org/residents/lead-safe-relocation-assistance-program.

About the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition

The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition was established in 2019 to address the City’s lead crisis, which particularly impacts children living in homes built before 1978 that contain lead-based paint. The Coalition’s programs aim to test ideas to improve lead testing and screening rates; help make environments lead-safe for Cleveland residents; and ease the financial burden associated with lead remediation. The Coalition’s work is made possible by philanthropic gifts, non-profit support, and public funds. For more information, visit www.LeadSafeCLE.org.

About Environmental Health Watch

Environmental Health Watch is a Cleveland-based nonprofit dedicated to creating healthier homes and regenerative communities. For more than 40 years, EHW has worked alongside residents to reduce environmental hazards, expand access to safe and affordable housing, and support community leadership. Our program areas of Healthy Homes, Healthy People, and Healthy Communities support initiatives that include the administration of Cleveland’s Lead Safe Resource Center, the Central Kinsman Wellness Collective, and Fresh Fest Cleveland, all rooted in the belief that every family deserves a safe, healthy place to live.

Contact:

Wyonette Cheairs
Director, Health Equity & Stakeholder Engagement
Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition
216.325.6564
wcheairs@enterprisecommunity.org