In some ways, the Hennepin County Lead Removal Program sounds too good to be true. With the promise of healthier children, cheaper heating bills and new windows, at little or no cost to eligible homeowners, it’s a government program people can really benefit from.
I recently sat down with Zoua Pha, a senior housing analyst with Hennepin County, to discuss six things people should know about the program.
1. The program’s focus is on homes where children under the age of 6 live or visit. That’s because lead poses the greatest risk to small children who are still growing and whose brains are still developing. Their fingers touch lots of surfaces, and lead dust easily ends up in their systems. Lead exposure puts kids at risk for brain and nervous system damage, stunted growth, and learning and behavior problems.
2. Only older homes and buildings qualify, but it’s easy to see if yours is old enough. To qualify for the program, your home or rental property must have been built before 1978. That’s the year the federal government outlawed the use of lead in paint. If you’re not sure of the age of your place, go to Hennepin County property tax website, and type in your address. “It will tell you when your house was built,” said Pha. “That’s the first thing that you want to look at if you don’t know when your house was built.
3. Older windows are one of the biggest hazards. It’s common for people who enroll in the program to receive new, energy-efficient windows. Old windows with flaking paint are a problem, and not just because of the visible paint flakes. “Lead dust is created from friction of these windows going up and down,” said Zoua Pha. “Lead dust is everywhere. You don’t see it. Now here you are touching it, inhaling it, digesting it into your body.”
4. Homeowners and renters need to qualify for the program. For example, a family of four can’t earn more than $94,000 per year. Pha urges people to fill out an online intake form, even if they’re worried they might not qualify. “There is an income qualification for this, but at the same time, if you’re worried about it, that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to help you find the lead paint and remove the lead hazard from your home.”
5. The program has been around a long time and isn’t going away. Funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Hennepin County lead program has been in existence since 2004. Zha said, “We have worked on over 2,000 homes facing these hazards, and the good news is we were funded again last year for another $8 million for the next five years, so we have money that we can help you.”
6. We’ve saved the best for last-- the program offers grants of up to $15K. “One of the great things is that every home where we do find lead, there is that grant. There is free money up to $15,000 to help fix these lead hazards.”
For more information on the Hennepin County Lead Removal Program and to see if you qualify, go here and click on, “Funding assistance for lead paint hazards.”