Is a Lead Grant Right for My Organization?

In 2016, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) initiated a State-funded program to provide lead-safe repairs and support energy efficiency in residential units built before 1978. The legislature initially appropriated $10M annually for this program, which was first known as the “DCA Lead Pilot”. Recently, through funding from the American Rescue Act, an additional $170M was added to funding that provides lead remediation and abatement services for 1-4 family residential properties.

This program aims to identify and remediate lead-based paint hazards via interim controls, encapsulation, replacement, or abatement methods to prevent elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) in children and pregnant women and alleviate the identified lead-based paint hazards for children with elevated blood lead levels.

Why is this important?

Lead dust from deteriorated paint is still the number 1 environmental hazard for children in the United States. Lead is unsafe at any level, yet in NJ alone more than 4,500 children are diagnosed each year with high levels of lead in their blood – leading to a lowering of IQ, an increase in health problems, a higher incidence of interaction with the criminal justice system and statistically significant reductions in performance on math and reading tests.

If your organization’s mission is to safeguard children in any capacity, this project is for you.

To learn more about how to get started, click here: Getting Started - Planning and Implementing a Successful Lead Program

To learn more about the effects of lead, click here: Health Hazards