(The Center Square) – The federal government is sending more than $14 million in taxpayer funds to several areas of Ohio to address home health and safety hazards.
Overall, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sent money to 33 states, the District of Columbia, four tribes and Puerto Rico.
Seven organizations in Ohio will share $14.5 million designed to increase local efforts to conduct lead hazard control and healthy home interventions, develop local workforces by training and hiring renovation and repair contractors and researching methods to identify and address housing-related hazards.
“By providing these grants, HUD makes it clear that making homes healthy and safe is a priority for communities,” said Matthew Ammon, Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes director. “HUD is committed to protecting families from the effects of unhealthy housing and to improving the health and economic stability of communities.”
The money is coming through four grant programs.
The first aims to help seniors live independently and safely in their homes through maintenance and repair projects based on findings by certified occupational therapists and other professionals of fall and other housing hazards that could prevent seniors from continuing to live at home.
Another program addresses multiple housing-related hazards, while the third is focused on young children and families impacted by lead.
The fourth program gives money to study the effects of housing-related hazards and how to control them.
In Ohio, the largest grant went to the Erie County Health Department in Sandusky, which received $4.5 million. That grant was part of the lead-based paint program. The same department received another $1.5 million from the healthy homes program.
The second largest was awarded to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission in Columbus, which received $2 million.
The CAP Commission of the Lancaster Fairfield County Area received $1.99 million, while Summit County also received $2 million. LifeCare Alliance in Columbus received $1.5 million, while Case Western Reserve University received $1 million.