Erie County health official outlines lead-poisoning risks, grant funding for Sandusky homes
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Summary
Jeffrey Hayes of the Erie County Health Department told the Sandusky City Commission that children under 6 face the highest risk from lead dust in pre-1978 homes and summarized multiple grant awards that support remediation and healthy-homes work in Sandusky.
Jeffrey Hayes of the Erie County Health Department told the Sandusky City Commission on March 23 that young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure from old paint and contaminated soil, and he described how current grant programs are being used to address the problem. "Their brains are not fully developed until the age of 6," Hayes said, adding that small amounts of lead dust from window sills, door jams and soil can raise a child's blood lead level.
Hayes explained how the county tests for elevated blood lead levels through capillary or venous blood tests and said prevention focuses on handwashing and environmental controls: wiping windowsills, mopping floors and keeping children away from peeling paint and contaminated porches. He described friction from painted window jambs and doors as a common source of dust that lands on sills and floors.
On funding, Hayes said the program drew a multi-year HUD grant (reported in the presentation as a roughly $4.5 million award for a 48-month period beginning March 2025 and a 2025 HUD grant reported at about $4.7 million that starts this month). He said the Ohio Department of Development reallocated $400,000 to the program that must be spent by 2026 and that a Healthy Homes grant of $1.5 million (42 months) is fully subscribed by current applications. "We have a healthy homes program… we've taken as many applications as that grant will be able to handle," Hayes said, and added the program prioritizes families with children under 6.
Hayes gave Sandusky-specific project numbers: 34 lead projects in 2025 totaling $798,629 and 21 Healthy Homes projects totaling $280,812, with total spending inside city limits listed as $1,079,441. He said program eligibility and prioritization depend on income, location, family size and the year the home was built.
Commissioners asked about the average age of homes; Hayes said many date to the 1950s and some to the early 1900s. He said the program has 67 projects tied to the current Healthy Homes grant and is taking applications for the next funding cycle in case HUD releases another opportunity.
The presentation closed with Hayes thanking commissioners and staff for local match commitments that make federal grants possible. The commission did not take formal action on the presentation; it was provided for information and public awareness.
