CLEVELAND — The City of Cleveland is trying to eradicate its lead paint problem.

What You Need To Know

  • Cleveland is filing Affidavits of Fact on properties that have lead hazards

  • Lead exposure is bad for everyone, especially kids 

  • Chipped and peeling paint is typically a sign of lead issues 

  • There are 397 placarded properties in Cleveland 

“A total of 397 placarded properties in the city of the Cleveland and our goal was to make sure that all of those properties also have an Affidavit of Fact attached,” Etoi Shaquila Young, the lead program manager at Cleveland Department of Health, said.

This week, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration filed 100 Affidavits of Fact against homeowners that have not gotten rid of lead in their homes. Young explained what pushed the city to do this.

“Enough is enough, and we want to see like every family, every home, lead safe,” she said.

Lead is unhealthy for anyone to be exposed to, but especially kids. Zachary Burkons a licensed lead inspector and the owner of Pb Free Ohio, explained that people can be proactive about checking their home for lead.

“The things that you’re looking for are chipped and peeling paint, that’s an instant flag right there,” he said.

Burkons explained what he does after he tests a home for lead.

“If there’s a repair that needs to be done, depending on what it is and the severity, I’ll make a referral to a certain person who’s not connected to my company to make the repairs and then call me back in to check it,” he said.