Protecting Children and Families from Lead Hazards
Sustainable Resources Center (SRC) works with Hennepin County to enroll its residents in the Lead-safe and Healthy Homes Program that aims to protect children and families from the dangers of lead paint exposure. Through this grant, SRC assists families with the application process while providing education on lead safety and risk reduction.
Hennepin County’s Lead-safe and Healthy Homes Program offers funds to income-eligible homes built before 1978, to mitigate common sources of lead dust through various remediation measures, including replacement of older wooden windows.
Income-qualified Hennepin County residents with children under the age of 6 may apply for the Lead-safe and Healthy Homes Program to identify and abate lead paint hazards in their homes. Both eligible homeowners and rental property occupants may apply for this program.
If you are interested in applying for Lead-safe and Healthy Homes Program, Hennepin County invites you to fill out their intake questionnaire at: https://healthyhomes.hennepin.us/
For your home to qualify for the Lead-safe and Healthy Homes Program, it must be:
- Located in Hennepin County
- Built prior to 1978
- Owner or tenant occupied, with a child under the age of 6 residing in the home, or frequently visiting (at least 16 hours/week)
- Cannot be Project Based Section 8, but properties with tenant vouchers are eligible - Cannot be Project Based Section 8, but properties with tenant vouchers are eligible
- If the house is income-eligible, annual household gross income (pre-tax) of all adults combined must fall within the following limits:
- 1-person household: $73,650
- 2-person household: $84,200
- 3-person household: $94,700
- 4-person household: $105,200
- 5-person household: $113,650
- 6-person household: $122,050
- 7-person household: $130,450
- 8-person household: $138,900
Hennepin County Lead-safe and Healthy Homes Program Process
Chipping/peeling lead paint in old wood windows
The program follows an eight-step process. Here are two videos from Hennepin County explaining how testing for lead works and what are the steps after testing .
In-Home Visit
SRC offers free in-home visits to identify lead paint hazards in your home. The home visit usually takes about one hour to complete. The visit consists of:
- Reviewing educational resources on lead hazards and safety
- If eligible for the grant program:
Collecting dust-wipe samples for lead analysis
Completing the application packet and collecting income verification documents
- A visual review and collecting photos of any potential lead hazards and healthy home concerns
Enrollment
After the in-home visit, your application will be reviewed by Hennepin County. Based on your income eligibility and the lead content of the dust samples, the county will determine to enroll you into the program and placed on the waitlist.
Risk Assessment
When you are pulled from the waitlist, Hennepin County will contact you to schedule the Paint Inspection and Risk Assessment (PIRA). The PIRA inspection is an in-depth examination to identify where your home’s interior and exterior lead hazards are. The inspection includes testing with an XRF analyzer, lab analysis of dust samples, and soil testing. This assessment will take 2–4 hours depending on the size of your home.
Owner’s Meeting
A risk assessor will then meet with you to review the results of the PIRA testing and discuss the next steps with the program.
Homeowner’s Work & Lead-Safe Work Practices Class
As part of the requirements of the grant, you will attend a two-hour class, Lead Safe Work Practices, which explains how to paint and complete small home-renovation projects in a lead-safe manner. Landowners must take an EPA-certified Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) class. Typical homeowners’ work may include but not limited to:
Painting interior or exterior trim, garages, or sheds.
Planting grass or placing mulch over areas of soil with high levels of lead.
Project Bidding
After the homeowners’ work is complete, your case manager will write your project scope and make a bid request to the contractor list.
Financing
If the project is more than $15,000 grant amount, you may use the county’s loan option to finance the remaining work. Funding is decided on a case-by-case basis.
For rental properties, the homeowner is liable for 10% of the grant amount.
Project Work and Relocation
The awarded contractor will schedule a time to complete the project scope. All residents must be out of the home during the work. The grant program provides families with a relocation stipend. Project usually last 4-5 days. You return home after the home has passed clearance testing.