Worcester, Massachusetts, property owners are gaining access to a record $5.5 million federal award to address the serious hazards posed by lead paint in aging homes.
The funding is expected to make 160 housing units safe from lead paint, according to This Week in Worcester, with a focus on households with young children in a city where old homes make up most of the housing stock.
Here's what to know
On Oct. 19, City Manager Eric D. Batista announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development had awarded the city $5.5 million under its Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program. City officials described it as the largest lead abatement award Worcester has received.
The award sets aside $5 million for lead abatement work and $500,000 for Healthy Homes work, This Week in Worcester reported. Eligible owners of private rental properties and owner-occupied homes throughout Worcester can use the funding to pay for remediation.
The program focuses on identifying and fixing lead-based paint dangers in homes where children under six live or could live while also addressing other health and safety problems in those units.
"Our Lead Abatement Program is designed to help eligible property owners with the cost of remediation," Batista said, per This Week in Worcester. "This is critical work that makes a real health improvement in our residents' lives."
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More background
Worcester says 63,235 housing units were built before 1978 — when lead-based paint was federally banned for homes — and the city says they make up 70% of all local housing.
As a Massachusetts Gateway City, Worcester has many multifamily buildings that were constructed for factory workers from 1880 to 1920. The city said years of deferred maintenance has left many needing repairs to make them safer for young children, This Week in Worcester noted.
The concern is especially urgent because Worcester is home to 11,431 children under six, the age group most vulnerable to lead exposure. Lead paint hazards can persist in aging windows, trim and walls as well as dust, making old homes a particularly important target for intervention.
According to This Week in Worcester, the city also cited American Community Survey five-year estimates showing 38,442 Worcester housing units in the pre-1940 category.
What's being done?
City officials said the funds will be directed toward low- and very low-income families with children, focusing the work where health risks and financial barriers are greatest. Batista encouraged owners of old properties to check with the city about whether they qualify for support, according to This Week in Worcester.
Worcester identified six local partners that will help connect residents and move projects forward: Worcester Head Start, the Realtor Association of Central Massachusetts, Worcester Community Action Council, Worcester Housing Authority, Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, and UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center.
James Brooks, the city's director of Housing Development and Healthy Homes, said Worcester will combine the federal award with local, state, and other federal sources, according to This Week in Worcester.
Remediation costs that might otherwise be out of reach can now be subsidized through a city-run program focused on lead hazards and related home health issues.
"Our goal is to have every eligible unit remediated," Batista said, per This Week in Worcester. He added that the work will "help provide the city's children a safe place to call home."
Where can I learn more?
Other cities are dealing with many of the same lead-related risks, from aging pipes to contamination alerts.
• In Illinois, officials voted to cover full lead-pipe repair costs for homeowners.
• In Colorado, the EPA will help replace toxic lead pipes serving homes.
• In Wisconsin, homeowners could face fines as lead-pipe replacement aid shrinks.
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