Groups say new ordinance two years ago has not led to more lead safe housing

Black on Black Crime Inc, Black Lives Matter Cuyahoga County, and Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing want the City of Cleveland to ratchet up its efforts to get the lead out of thousands of city residences. They are calling on Clevelanders to Sleep Out At City Hall to call attention to what they say is an urgent need for action against lead poisoning in Cleveland.

The groups are inviting Clevelanders to gather on the steps of City Hall and camp out there overnight this coming Saturday at 7p to spotlight the city's slow pace in implementing the Lead Safe Certificate Ordinance passed in 2019. That law itself came only after sustained citizen led protests.

• Child lead testing has continued to decline over the past 4 years. The City of Cleveland offers no lead testing services. Instead the health department has convened a commission to study the problem.

• The Department of Building and Housing has registered fewer than 100 rental homes as lead safe, despite expecting thousands of landlords to come forward with proof that their properties would not cause childhood lead poisoning. 

• Shortly after the Director of Building and Housing told the City Council that "enforcement is near," she was promoted out of the department and replaced by another interim director.

In a statement announcing the sleep in, the groups invited city officials and current candidates for mayor and council to join the demonstration and to pledge swift and complete enforcement of the lead safe certificate Program.

Angela Davis is contact person for this event. The groups' press release listed her availability by phone or text as 216.324.8585 and her email as This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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 Updated August 9, 2021 @ 1428 to update photo and contact information.