A Community Letter Supporting Sustainable Lead Safe Reform
To the Honorable Members of Cleveland City Council:

As Cleveland landlords, property managers, and housing providers, we share a common goal: To ensure every child lives in a lead-safe home.

We support lead testing. We support lead remediation. and We support strong enforcement against shady owners who refuse to comply. We want to strengthen Cleveland's Lead Safe Program through practical, sustainable policies that produce lasting reductions in childhood lead poisoning while preserving affordable housing. 

Today,  responsible housing providers are struggling to keep pace with an increasingly complex system. Compliance costs continue to rise, administrative requirements have expanded, financial assistance has disappeared, and different agencies often require separate lead certifications for the same property. Frequent policy changes create uncertainty, while limited availability of qualified inspectors delays compliance.

These challenges have consequences beyond property owners. They increase housing costs, create unnecessary disruptions for tenants, discourage participation in affordable housing programs, and divert time and resources away from identifying properties that present the greatest risk. Most importantly, despite the growing burden, childhood lead poisoning has not declined at the rate we all hoped to achieve.

We respectfully ask City Council to consider the following improvements:

Align Cleveland's lead certification requirements with established Ohio and federal lead safety standards whenever practical.
Adopt a five-year certification schedule, with longer certification periods for qualifying lower-risk properties.
Restore funding for lead remediation grants, rebates, and homeowner assistance programs.
Coordinate documentation requirements among City departments and CMHA to eliminate unnecessary duplicate inspections.
Limit major policy changes to an annual review cycle with adequate notice before implementation.
Increase enforcement against landlords who refuse to comply while reducing unnecessary burdens on owners with a proven record of compliance.

A sustainable Lead Safe program benefits everyone. Children live in safer homes. Tenants experience fewer disruptions and more affordable housing. Responsible local landlords can continue investing in Cleveland neighborhoods. City resources can focus on identifying truly hazardous properties instead of repeating inspections on compliant ones.

We believe Cleveland can become a model for effective lead safety by combining strong public health protections with practical policies that responsible property owners can maintain for years to come.

We invite City Council to work with landlords, tenants, inspectors, to discuss and improve Cleveland's Lead Safe program. Together, we can create safer housing, healthier children, stronger neighborhoods, and a more vibrant Cleveland.  

Respectfully,

The Undersigned Cleveland Housing Providers, Cleveland Residents, and Lead Remedation Industry Figures