The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) voted to allocate as much as $9 million for lead‑based paint inspections and related services across its portfolio of vacant housing units. The funding, subject to availability, will be used to hire EPA‑certified experts to conduct X‑ray fluorescence (XRF) testing, identify hazardous paint, and provide data on safe living conditions.
Prepare for Occupancy program expands
CMHA’s “Prepare for Occupancy” (PFO) program, which contracts out cleaning and other services to ready vacant units for new residents, received nine responsive bids. Seven of those bids are tied to the PFO effort, helping the authority address backlog orders and meet HUD inspection timelines of 24 to 72 hours.
Contract awards and vendor selection
The board approved several contracts to support the work. Resolution B authorizes three‑year contracts—with two optional one‑year renewals—to a slate of vendors, including Brown Sugar Investments LLC, He’s Real Investments LLC, James Jones d/b/a Jones General Contracting, JVI Team Construction Inc., Kingdom Bio‑Recovery Inc., Mainline Services LLC, Proficient Services Inc., Tri Rivers Holding LLC, and Zennox Turnkey Solutions LLC. These contracts cover authority‑wide work orders up to $3.9 million, pending fund availability.
Resolution D specifically targets lead‑based paint inspections. CMHA will award three‑year contracts—again with two optional one‑year renewals—to Affordable Services Inc., ARC Environmental LLC, Inspection Experts Inc., and Ohio Lead Inspectors LLC. The total amount for these inspections will not exceed $9 million.
Technology upgrades for public safety
In addition to lead testing, the board approved a five‑year contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc. (Resolution C) for body‑worn cameras, electronic control weapons, digital evidence storage, and live video access. The $936,748.59 contract supports the Authority’s Officer Safety Plan, which calls for new cameras, Tasers, expanded cloud storage via Evidence.com, and tools to improve transparency and reduce physical harm.
Impact on residents and families
By prioritizing lead‑paint inspections, CMHA aims to protect families—especially children—from the dangers of lead exposure, a critical health concern in older housing stock. The inspections will help ensure that units are safe before families move in, aligning with the authority’s mission to provide healthy, affordable homes.
The meeting also noted a write‑off of more than $750,000 for unpaid rent, underscoring the financial challenges faced by the authority. For any corrections to these notes, readers can contact the documenters at [email protected].
Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.
