How the Lead-Safe Housing Program Works
The Lead-Safe Housing Program offers grants to help remediate lead-based paint hazards in housing units built before 1978. This program is available to home owners and rental property owners who meet qualification criteria. Those who qualify can receive up to $14,000 for repairs designed to remediate lead-based paint hazards.
A professional environmental company will perform a non-invasive test of the property and identify lead paint hazards. The cost of this test is covered by the grant. The resulting report will contain recommendations that will guide the work that will be performed at your home.
The scope of work will be competitively bid to qualified contractors that are State Certified Lead Abatement Contractors. These contractors are licensed, insured and experienced.
During work, specially trained and State Certified Lead Abatement Supervisors and Workers will make repairs using safe work practices including containment areas, that will keep lead dust from spreading throughout your home. After work is completed they will clean to remove lead dust that remains.
Depending on where lead hazards are found, there may be several rooms that you will not have access to during the work. If you cannot have access to a sleeping area, bathroom and cooking area you will be asked to relocate temporarily to a lead-safe unit for 5-7 days. Grant funds are available to assist tenants with costs of temporary relocation.
At the end of work, an independent Clearance Test is performed by the environmental testing firm. This test consists of lab-analyzed dust wipes and a visual inspection that determine whether the work areas are safe to re-occupy. Once the passing results are received, you may re-occupy areas of work.
Community Development Inspectors will also monitor and inspect work to ensure safety, proper installation of items and quality of work as well as inspect to ensure work is completed to meet code requirements.
Summary of the Process
Upon successful review of the application, a staff member or provider will visit the property to take pictures and sketch a floor plan to develop a preliminary estimate of how much the work might cost;
A Lead Testing Contractor will visit the house, with a City Inspector, to perform spot testing of different areas of painted surfaces that are suspected to contain lead-based paint. Within three weeks, a Risk Assessment Report will be provided to the staff;
The project will be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder;
The applicant and contractor will meet with a representative to discuss relocation (if applicable) and to sign the contractor agreement, notice to proceed, mortgage, and other ancillary forms;
The work will be scheduled;
Occupants may be relocated on the day that the work is to begin;
The work will be performed;
Upon completion of the work, a lead clearance test will occur. If the property passes the test, occupants can then move back into the property;
Before the contractor is paid in full, the property owner will sign a document stating that the work is satisfactorily complete per the Scope of Work.