Cleveland Ending Landlord Incentive Program for Lead-Safe Homes

Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition will stop accepting new applications for payments to landlords to certify rentals as lead-safe.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 12:31pm

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The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition is winding down a program that paid landlords between $750 and $1,000 per unit to certify their rental properties as safe from lead poisoning. The incentive program, which has distributed $8.9 million since 2020, will stop accepting new applications on February 3 and officially end in June. While the incentives helped drive adoption of the city's 2019 lead-safe law, some advocates have questioned their effectiveness, arguing the program has focused on the least risky properties.

Why it matters

Cleveland's lead poisoning crisis has persisted despite the new lead-safe law, with the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels remaining unchanged from 2019 to 2023. The end of the landlord incentive program signals a shift in the city's approach, as it looks to focus more resources on directly abating lead hazards in homes.

The details

The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition has paid landlords to certify over 28,000 rental units as lead-safe since 2020, but estimates suggest Cleveland has 90,000 to 100,000 rental units total. With the incentive program ending, the city is now relying more on enforcement, issuing around 9,000 $200 tickets in 2025 for non-compliance. Officials are also considering changes to the 2019 law to create a path for rentals to be permanently deemed lead-safe after initial scrutiny and abatement.

  • The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition will stop accepting new applications for the landlord incentive program on February 3, 2026.
  • The landlord incentive program will officially end in June 2026.

The players

Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition

A public-private partnership that launched after Cleveland's 2019 lead-safe law was passed, with the goal of spending $92 million by 2027 on efforts to eradicate the city's lead crisis.

Ayonna Blue Donald

Helps lead the work of the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition.

Scott Kroehle

Co-chair of the Lead Safety Advisory Board.

Dr. David Margolius

Cleveland's public health director.

Mayor Justin Bibb

Issued an executive order in October 2024 making the requirements for rentals to be lead-safe stricter.

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What they’re saying

“There's a concern that, to date, the program has really been skimming the least risky properties off the top of the pile. If we're trying to reduce childhood lead poisoning we need to be abating hazards.”

— Scott Kroehle, Co-chair of the Lead Safety Advisory Board (cleveland.com)

“It was the carrot. It was meant to be a kind of injection into the system to get people to do something they've never done before.”

— Dr. David Margolius, Cleveland's public health director (cleveland.com)

What’s next

Cleveland officials are considering changes to the 2019 lead-safe law that would create a path for rentals to be permanently deemed safe once they go through enough scrutiny and abatement, stopping the need for landlords to recertify every few years.

The takeaway

While the landlord incentive program helped drive adoption of Cleveland's lead-safe law, its end signals a shift towards more direct investment in lead abatement and stricter enforcement to tackle the city's persistent lead poisoning crisis.