KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo and KNHS Home Ownership Services are partnering to help protect families with children 5 and under living in the city’s older homes from lead-based paint.
A $2 million special purpose grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will fund lead paint remediation in eligible Kalamazoo homes at no cost to residents, a news release said Friday.
The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program is open to Kalamazoo residents at or below 80% area median income that own or live in a home built before 1978.
Homes need to be current on taxes and the owner must maintain ownership for three years after the completion of work.
Lead-based paint hazard remediation projects both identify the presence of lead-based paint hazards in the home and work to remove hazards.
All hazard remediation work is conducted by licensed lead abatement firms.
City staff will deliver information to residents in eligible homes next week to share program details and encourage residents to apply.
Residents who think they may have lead paint in their homes can also visit the city’s website hereor call KNHS Ownership Services at 269-385-2916 for more details about the program.
Lead is a heavy metal that was used in construction and household paints before 1978.
Though its use has been banned in residential paint, it remains a hazard in some older homes. When something containing lead deteriorates, it becomes dust and is poisonous to someone who breathes or eats it.
