MANSFIELD — The Richland County Land Bank board on Monday approved three more residences for lead remediation, bringing to 18 the total thus far in the Ohio Department of Development’s Lead Safe Ohio Program.
The Land Bank was allocated $1,358,000 last year for the program, which is funding exterior rehab projects across the county.
A total of 77 property owners have applied for the program with 57 approved for consideration on a first-come, first-served basis, Land Bank officials said Monday.
Residential properties, including both owner-occupied and rental units, can have up to $50,000 of lead-safe renovations covered.
Childcare centers and congregate-care facilities are capped at $100,000, though Hamrick said Monday no child-care centers had applied to the program.
Five projects have been completed thus far at a total cost of $304,515. One residence was allotted $147,091 after the Land Bank obtained a waiver from the state due to it being a historical building — and also had a child living there who had gotten sick from lead.
The Lead Safe Ohio program requires the Land Bank to prioritize households with an income at or below 80 percent of the average median income.
Rehab projects can include replacing siding, windows, exterior doors, roofs, downspouts, gutters, exterior trim, fascia or soffit. Funding can also be used to repair or replace porches.
But the project isn’t a blank check for renovations — any work done must mitigate the presence of lead.
Lead-based paint was commonly used in home construction and remodeling until was banned by the U.S. government in 1978 over health and safety concerns.
Lead was a common ingredient in home paint and other home construction materials through the late 1970s. It’s now known to have serious health impacts if ingested, especially for children.
Thus, it’s likely features like wood siding and windows have been covered with lead-based paint in older homes.
Land Bank board members said they have been cautious in awarding projects to approved contractors until they determined how quickly the state would reimburse the organization once work was complete.
Land Bank Executive Director Amy Hamrick said Monday that reimbursement was coming in about two weeks time and progress is being made. Five projects have not yet been awarded to contractors, including the three approved Monday.
The grant requires the interior and exterior of a property be tested for lead after the project is complete. The cost of testing and pre-cleaning the home, as well as administrative fees from the Land Bank are included in the $50,000 and $100,000 limits.
The Lead Safe Ohio program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. All funds have to be spent by Feb. 28, 2026
According to the Ohio Department of Health, even small amounts of lead can cause learning and behavior problems in children. Lead is most harmful to children under the age of 6 and can also be dangerous to a baby during pregnancy.
The housing study released earlier this year found that Richland County has a disproportionately older housing stock. About 20 percent of the county’s housing units were built before 1939 and another 55 percent were constructed between 1940 and 1979.
