AKRON, Ohio – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday announced a $5.6 million grant to Summit County and a $4.6 million grant to the city of Akron to address homes with lead hazards and other health concerns.

The announcement coincides with National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, and comes a day after HUD announced a $9.7 million grant for the city of Cleveland and $5.6 million for Cuyahoga County.

“Lead hazard reduction problems: they’re here, they’re across the region, they’re across the country,” HUD Midwest Regional Administrator Joseph P. Galvan said at a news conference in Akron City Hall. “We all know that children are our most precious resource. Families, low-income families, who don’t have the funds available, now they will have them, in conjunction with the city and the county.”

Akron received $4 million for lead-hazard control in 250 homes and $600,000 for “healthy homes” assessments in 115 housing units.

Summit County received $5 million to provide lead-hazard control in 250 housing units and $600,000 to perform assessments in 200 homes. Both the city and county will work in partnership with medical and social-service providers.

HUD Midwest Regional Administrator Joseph P. Galvan, right, on Thursday awarded a $5.6 million grant to Summit County Public Health Commissioner Donna Skoda and Summit County Assistant Chief of Staff Greta Johnson, far left. (Robin Goist, cleveland.com)

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said about 70,000 homes, or about 85% of Akron’s housing units, were built before lead paint was banned for residential use in 1978.

“A safe and healthy home is one of life’s most basic necessities and these federal funds will help improve the quality of life for our residents and protect those healthy families, especially children, by removing those lead hazards from those spaces, not only where they live, but where they play, too,” Horrigan said.

Greta Johnson, assistant chief of staff for Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro, said nearly one-third of the housing stock in the county was built before 1940, and more than three-quarters before 1978.

Summit County Public Health Commissioner Donna Skoda said the grant will allow her agency to “protect the most vulnerable citizens from lead-based paint and its health effects.”

Ingesting lead-paint flakes or lead-paint dust can cause lead poisoning and other problems such as impairment of the brain and nervous system.

To qualify for the funds, a child under the age of 6 must regularly spend time in a home. Grandparents, child-care workers and others who care for children in their home may also qualify.

Interested Akron residents can call 311 to contact the lead-abatement team. Other Summit County residents can contact the county’s lead abatement program at 330-643-8013. The application is available here.

Within the past month, HUD awarded more than $314 million in grants to state and local governments, including $45 million to Ohio municipalities. Akron and Summit County received about 20% of the funds awarded statewide.

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