Progress has been slow three years after Cleveland’s lead safe ordinance was passed. What will it take to move the needle?

Image of Robert L. Fischer, PhD

The LandRobert Fischer, associate professor and co-director of the Center on Poverty and Community Development at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, said one of the biggest objections landlords have to Cleveland’s lead safe ordinance is that the financial costs are too high. To bridge this gap, lead safe advocates are offering incentives such as low-interest loans and grants. But at the moment, few landlords are taking advantage of them, and progress on the lead safety initiative has been slow.