The City of Dallas Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization is offering lead paint reduction for qualified homes within city limits through its Healthy Homes Lead Reduction program.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $2.3 million to the City of Dallas to remove lead-based paint and other health and safety hazards from homes. The City of Dallas is also adding $700,000 to implement the grant.
"This funding is incredibly important because childhood lead poisoning is the most universal yet preventable environmental health issue in the United States," Lead-Based Paint Grant Specialist Brandon Ayala said. "Our goal is to target families living in homes they suspect may have lead-based paint, and reduce the risk of exposure."
The Healthy Homes Lead Reduction program supports homes in Dallas that are built before 1978, have children under six living in them, are structurally sound, and have a clear title.
According to the City of Dallas, an estimated 52% of occupied, privately-owned homes built before 1978 likely contain lead-based paint.
Lead exposure in children can cause damage to the nervous system and kidneys, learning disabilities, speech, language, and behavior problems.
Exposure to lead can also cause high blood pressure and pregnancy complications for expectant mothers.
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"Reducing this problem gives our communities a chance at better health outcomes in the future," Assistant Director Cynthia Rogers-Ellickson, Department of Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization, said.
To apply for the Healthy Homes Lead Reduction program, visit dallashousingpolicy.com.
If the home qualifies for the program, a lead test will be conducted at no cost to the homeowner. If the sample returns a positive result, HHLR will coordinate a time and date for a contractor to begin the reduction process.
