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City Receives $3.5M Grant for Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction

Published on February 09, 2024

Painter applying painter's tape around a window.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Feb. 9, 2024) - The city is accepting a Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction grant of $3,573,037 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. The grant aligns with the city's ongoing efforts to address and mitigate lead paint hazards in low-income housing.

With this funding, the city's LeadSafe Charlotte program, a key initiative of the Housing and Neighborhood Services department, will expand its impact. The program focuses on testing, risk evaluation, control, and reduction of lead paint hazards, particularly in older residential properties where lead paint is still prevalent. According to the National Center for Healthy Housing, 39% of homes in North Carolina, built before 1978, are at risk of containing lead-based paint, a known health hazard, especially for children under the age of six.

LeadSafe Charlotte has been instrumental in making homes safer for families, particularly young children, who are most vulnerable to the effects of lead exposure. Since its inception, the program has successfully identified and removed lead hazards from 2,265 residential properties. With the new grant, the city plans to extend its reach by testing more than 180 housing units for lead and removing lead hazards from up to 100 housing units over the next four years.

Learn more about the city's housing rehab program.