City of Lakewood, Ohio - Community Development

MISSION STATEMENT
Each year the City of Lakewood, Division of Community Development (DCD) hires contractors to wash, scrape and paint homes receiving free paint and labor through the Operation Paintbrush program.
To qualify for this program, applicants must own and reside on their Lakewood property and meet the income guidelines listed below.

Applications
Applications are accepted once a year beginning in October. Interested homeowners may contact the Division of Community Development throughout the year for program information and to be placed on a waiting list.

Application forms are now available online (see below) or by mail. To be considered for assistance through the program, completed forms and accompanying documentation must be returned to the Division of Community Development, 12650 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio 44107 no later than March 14, 2008. Click here for the Operation Paintbrush application.

Applicants must submit to an exterior property inspection conducted by a Project Specialist from the DCD. The homeowner must complete any major repairs, necessary to the paint job, before the house can be painted. Some minor repairs are handled through the program. Homeowners choose their own paint colors.

The number of properties painted is contingent upon the availability of funding. Applications are prioritized based on need, income and past participation in the program (properties painted through the program within the past five years are not eligible). Homes accepted into the program are typically painted between May 1 and September 15 of each year.