PROVIDENCE, RI – Ahead of the 25th annual National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, which starts October 20 and runs through the 26th, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo are delivering $6.5 million for Providence and $6.5 million for Woonsocket through the federal Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program (LHR) to make more homes and apartments across the state lead-safe for children and families.  Individual homeowners, renters, and landlords can apply directly through the City of Providence and City of Woonsocket, which work with local community agencies and non-profits to use the federal funds to pay specialized professionals for lead paint abatement and remediation in private residences.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nearly 300,000 housing units in Rhode Island have potential lead paint hazards and associated lead-contaminated yards. Of these units, over 90,000 are low-income households.  The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program can help these households save thousands of dollars on the cost of eliminating lead-related hazards and making the properties safer and more valuable. 

Exposure to lead-based paint is a serious health threat, especially for children under six who may touch, swallow, or breathe in lead dust.  Lead exposure can cause adverse health effects such as brain damage, slowed growth and development, and other problems affecting learning, behavior, hearing, and speech.  If a child is exposed to lead, early detection and intervention is critical to prevent adverse, long-term impacts.

An estimated 1,300 children in Rhode Island are lead poisoned each year, according to state estimates.

The $13 million in federal funds, which are administered at the national level by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) -- and spearheaded locally by the Community Action Partnership of Providence -- will help Providence and Woonsocket expand local efforts to address lead hazards in housing units, making houses and apartments healthier and safer for families, and raising public awareness about the risks associated with lead paint.

“This is a smart investment in remediating lead hazards, making homes safer, reducing health care costs, improving educational performance, and helping more kids and families lead healthier lives,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee who led Congressional efforts to fund the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program and worked with Woonsocket to extend its deadlines to ensure it can use the funds to help more eligible families.  In 1999, Senator Reed authored a resolution (S. Res 199) establishing the first ever National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.

“Too many older homes in Rhode Island are filled with hidden lead hazards because of the high costs of lead remediation, leaving children and families unsafe in their own homes,” said Senator Whitehouse, a former Attorney General for Rhode Island who filed the state’s first lawsuit against lead paint manufacturers. “This new funding will give Providence and Woonsocket homeowners the financial resources they need to remove these hazards and keep their little ones safe.”

“There is no amount of lead exposure that is safe, and this federal funding will help Rhode Islanders remove lead from their homes to keep children and families safe and healthy,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner.

“Toxic lead has no place in our drinking water and it has no place in household paint,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “I am grateful that we secured these federal funds to help remediate homes and apartments throughout Rhode Island so we can better protect the health of young children and families in our community.”

Working together, the delegation helped make $469,655,877 in federal funding for LHR grants available nationwide.

“We talk every day with parents, tenants, homeowners, and landlords facing lead safety challenges - and our local lead hazard reduction programs help all of them,” said Laura Brion, Executive Director of the Childhood Lead Action Project. “This new influx of funding will allow hundreds of Rhode Island families to keep their children healthy and safe from lead, potentially changing the trajectory of their whole lives.”

To participate in the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction program, families must meet certain income requirements and have a child in the home.  If eligible, a trained contractor will assess the home for lead and eventually work to remove any hazards, which would typically cost thousands of dollars if paying out of pocket.

In Rhode Island, LHR projects are awarded on a first-come, first served basis.  Families and landlords may apply to their local lead safe partner program:

Providence - Lead Safe Providence Program: https://cappri.org/programs/lead-safe-providence

Woonsocket - Woonsocket Lead Hazard Reduction Program: https://www.woonsocketri.gov/planning-development/lead-hazard-reduction-program

Statewide - RIHousing LeadSafe Homes Program: https://www.rihousing.com/leadsafe_homes/

Typical lead removal or remediation includes the replacement of lead-tainted windows and doors, adding exterior siding, and covering up or removing lead paint on porches.  For a 2,000-square-foot residence, the average cost of lead paint removal is about $15,000, and the entire bill may be paid using federal funds.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), starting this month, all Ocean State landlords who rent a residential property that was built before 1978 and that is not exempt from the state’s Lead Hazard Mitigation Act must provide a valid Certificate of Lead Conformance or other lead certificate in order to comply with a new state law.

RIDOH also reminds parents and caregivers to have children screened for lead exposure once by 18 months and a second time by 36 months. Having a child’s blood tested for lead is the only way to know if they have been exposed to lead and what actions to take. It is also the first step to finding and removing the source of lead.  Many children exposed to lead have happy and healthy lives, but early intervention is critical.