MANSFIELD — The Richland County Land Bank board approved three more residences for a lead remediation program Friday.
The land bank is in charge of overseeing Richland County’s Lead Safe Ohio Program, which is funded through the Ohio Department of Development.
The Land Bank was allocated $1,358,000 last year for the program, which funds exterior rehab projects across the county.
The latest properties approved for the program include two residences within Mansfield City limits and one in Bloominggrove Township. One is owned by a single parent with two children.
All three recipients earn 80 percent or less of Mansfield’s average median income — about $64,000 a year for a family of four.
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.
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 land bank executive director Amy Hamrick, the board has approved 23 residences for the program. Remediation work has been completed at 8 properties.
Hamrick estimated the land bank has just under $280,000 in Lead Safe Ohio funds remaining. She told the board the land bank has “more than enough” applications to expend the funds.
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.
During its regular meeting Friday, the board also voted to:
- Approve the renewing the a $250,000 line of credit with Park National Bank and pay a $350 loan fee
- Enter into a three year agreement with Julian and Grube to perform its GAAP (generally accepted accounting practices) financial reporting audits
- Enter into an agreement with the Mannik Smith Group to conduct environmental assessment work at 473 Sherman up to $75,000. The land bank will be reimbursed for its portion of the costs (75 percent) by the Ohio Department of Development Assessment Grant. The remaining portion will be paid by the city of Mansfield.