MAHONING COUNTY Federal grants for lead removal exceed $3M

The county partnered with Akron for one grant.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The federal government has awarded more than $3 million in grants to Mahoning County's lead hazard abatement program.
A $2.6 million grant, which will be shared with Akron, will be used for removing lead from homes, and a $900,000 grant will go toward making homes environmentally safe for children with asthma, said Gary Singer, program director.
Both grants are from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. County commissioners accepted the grants during their meeting Thursday.
Partnership
Singer said the county partnered with Akron for the lead abatement grant because HUD was looking to award money to larger metropolitan areas.
"We're too small by ourselves to compete with places like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit," Singer said. "This shows that on a regional basis, two communities can work together to make something happen."
The county and Akron will each get about $1.17 million to spend for lead hazard abatement, with the rest going toward administrative costs.
The $900,000 grant is for a HUD program called Healthy Homes Initiative. The funding will be used to identify and eliminate housing conditions that contribute to asthma and other respiratory problems for children.
Exposure to mold and dust mites, and cockroach infestation are among the problems that will be sought and addressed.
Singer said the county competed against communities all over the country for both grants.
Help with prescriptions
Kerry Collins, director of the county's office on aging, updated commissioners on the county's prescription assistance program for senior citizens.
Since the program started in May, volunteers have submitted 1,735 applications for assistance resulting in a total of $546,739 in savings for seniors, Collins said.
"That's a substantial savings to our senior citizens," Collins said. "The program is working well."
The program is aimed at helping seniors get discounts on prescriptions through drug companies. Volunteers have been trained to assist program participants with the application process.
Collins has said that Mahoning County has more than 45,700 people who are 65 or older. That's the fourth-highest among Ohio's 88 counties.
bjackson@vindy.com