BATAVIA, Ohio — Habitat for Humanity has completed lead-safe renovations at 26 homes across Clermont County using more than $1 million in state Lead Safe Ohio Program funding, the organization told county commissioners this week.
The work included new windows, doors, siding, roofs, gutters, painting and other repairs aimed at reducing lead exposure in older housing, Habitat representatives said in a presentation to the Board of Commissioners. Each home was inspected and had to pass lead-clearance testing before the work was considered complete, according to the organization.
Habitat representatives shared before-and-after accounts from homeowners in Williamsburg, Batavia, Miamiville and Felicity, according to the county. The presentation was made to commissioners Claire Corcoran, Bonnie Batchler and David Painter.
The Lead Safe Ohio Program was created under House Bill 45, signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine in January 2023, which directed $150 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money toward preventing and remediating lead hazards in homes built before 1978, the year lead-based paint was banned nationwide. The program is administered by the Ohio Department of Development in coordination with the Ohio Department of Health, and grant funds can pay for window and door replacement, siding, roofing and other renovations in addition to lead testing and certification.
Habitat for Humanity also reminded residents that its separate Critical Repair Program may be able to help homeowners maintain their homes outside the lead program. That program, operated by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati, provides free repairs — including roof work, HVAC service, plumbing and accessibility modifications — to income-qualified homeowners age 65 and older and to military-connected households in Clermont County and several surrounding counties, according to the organization. The program does not cover lead remediation.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Clermont County and Habitat for Humanity.