CLEVELAND LEAD ADVOCATES FOR SAFE HOUSING STAY ON TASK
Today, leaders at Cleveland City Hall announced a coalition to address lead hazards in the city’s environment, but their proposals fall short and fail to recognize the urgency and severity of the issue. The press conference offered no dollars and no dates.
The City has long been aware of this critical public health issue, but has not taken effective action. “While the City is yet again kicking the can down the road, more children are being poisoned,” said Yvonka Hall, Outreach Director of Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus. “According to Ohio Department of Public Health statistics, almost 4500 children have been poisoned since 2015. The numbers are likely higher — these are just the children who have actually been tested and their results recorded.”
Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH) agrees that holistic solutions, including public-private partnerships and funding mechanisms, will be necessary to solve lead poisoning. However, in addition to other approaches, the newly announced City coalition needs to direct its commitment towards legislation that will require owners of pre-1978 rental properties to verify that their unites are lead safe before more children are poisoned and to protect tenants from retaliation, displacement, and further adverse health outcomes.
“We do not need years of commissions and summits to tell us what needs to be done. We know,” said Jeff Johnson, member of the Cleveland Lead Safe Network. “We need a mandatory lead safe testing requirement for Cleveland’s rental properties and the funding to support it.”
If City leaders wish to engage in a sincere effort to pass lead safe housing legislation, CLASH is ready and able to assist after years of developing legislation and bringing in experts to develop a bill suited to Cleveland’s needs.
In the meantime, CLASH will continue to move forward with a ballot initiative.
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ABOUT CLEVELAND LEAD ADVOCATES FOR SAFE HOUSING
Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH) is dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable citizens in the City of Cleveland. Member organizations include the Cleveland Lead Safe Network, Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, Black Lives Matter of Cuyahoga County, the Single Payer Action Network, Organize!Ohio, and the Cleveland Democratic Socialists of America.
CONTACTS:
Yvonka Hall, MPA –Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus Phone: 216-802-8101 Email: ymhall@msn.com
Jeff Johnson – Cleveland Lead Safety Network Phone: 216-536-2233 Email: jeffjohnsoncle@gmail.com
Rebecca Maurer – Maurer Law, LLC Phone: 216-242-6672 Email: rebecca@maurerlawllc.com