Housing & Community Development Forum

Advancing a Lead-Safe Cleveland: Policy, Public Health, and What’s Ahead

September 16, 2026 | 12pm-1:30pm | Virtual, via Zoom

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1.5 CLE credits will be available to those who attend the live forum.

This webinar will explore Cleveland’s ongoing efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning and advance lead-safe housing through policy, implementation, enforcement, and community partnership. Featuring Rebecca Maurer, Senior Advisor for Lead Accountability for the City of Cleveland, and Dr. David Margolius, Director of the Cleveland Department of Public Health, the discussion will provide an update on the City’s lead safety strategy, progress under Cleveland’s Lead Safe Certification law, and the continued challenges of addressing lead hazards in an older housing market. With Hazel Remesch, Director of State and Local Policy for Ohio at Enterprise Community Partners as moderator, the panelists will discuss the public health impacts of lead exposure, the status of local implementation efforts, proposed legislative and administrative improvements, and progress toward a lead-safe Cleveland.

Speakers:

Dr. David Margolius, Director of Public Health, City of Cleveland

David Margolius, MD, serves as the Director of Public Health, City of Cleveland. In August 2022, he became the city’s first physician Public Health Director in over 40 years, bringing a unique perspective shaped by years of caring for patients, leading teams, and addressing root causes of health disparities. A Cleveland native raised in Shaker Heights, Dr. Margolius returned home after medical training to dedicate his career to improving the health of Cleveland residents. Before joining the City of Cleveland, he spent seven years at MetroHealth System as a primary care physician and administrator, serving in several leadership roles, including Division Director of Internal Medicine. Dr. Margolius earned both his undergraduate and Doctor of Medicine degrees from Brown University. He completed his residency in internal medicine at University of California, San Francisco where he served as Chief Resident of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety. Today, he leads Cleveland’s public health efforts with a vision of building the nation’s most responsive, trusted, and impactful local health department. He lives in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood with his wife and two children.

Rebecca Maurer, Senior Advisor for Lead Accountability, City of Cleveland

Rebecca Maurer started her career with a passion for housing justice after having her own issues with a bad landlord. She graduated from Stanford Law School (JD ’14), worked at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, and clerked for Judge James Gwin of the Northern District of Ohio. She was a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, representing tenants in eviction and households facing bad debts. She worked with a community coalition pushing to reform Cleveland’s lead-safe housing laws. 

In 2021, her commitment to a more transparent and accountable city government led her to run and win a seat on Cleveland City Council. While on Council, she was vice-chair of the Health and Human Services committee and co-chair of the Lead Safe Advisory Board. She now serves as the Senior Advisor for Lead Accountability and is working across City departments to ensure that all of Cleveland’s children get the lead-safe city they deserve. 

Moderated by: Hazel Remesch, J.D., Ohio State and Local Policy Director, Enterprise Community Partners

Hazel Remesch is Director of State and Local Policy for Ohio at Enterprise Community Partners, where she advances policy solutions that expand access to affordable housing and strengthen renter protections across the state. Based in Cleveland, she works at the intersection of housing, equity, and systems change, advocating on issues related to fair housing, federal housing policy, and statewide tax and housing policy. Before joining Enterprise, Hazel spent 15 years at the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, where she most recently served as managing attorney of the Housing Practice Group and helped lead efforts to advance housing stability and access to counsel for tenants facing eviction. Her work has earned recognition across the region, including the Innovation Mission Fellowship, Cleveland City Champion honors, and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Professionalism Award. Hazel holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and a J.D. from St. Thomas University.

The Housing & Community Development Forum is presented by Home Repair Resource Center, Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research, and Greater Cleveland Reinvestment Coalition. This organizational collaboration convenes a team comprised of individuals and organizations working to raise awareness to housing issues at the local, county, and state level.

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