If you live in a house that was built before 1978, there is a chance you have lead-based paint somewhere in or on your home. Lead-based paint was used prior to 1978 because it was a paint that lasted a long time. Once the hazards of lead were learned, the government restricted its use starting in 1978. I wrote more about the hazards of lead-based paint here.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has grants for property owners to help remove hazardous paint from homes. Here in Salt Lake County, our county government administers those funds. If you meet their criteria, you may qualify to have free (to you) work done on your home to remove any lead-based paint. There are income requirements based on the size of your household. There also is a requirement that a pregnant woman or child under 6 lives in or visits the home. Your house also has to have been built prior to 1978. If you meet the requirements you can fill out an application and get started. This can be for homeowners, renters, and landlords.

The work that is covered includes replacing windows, removing paint, repairing and repainting chipped or peeling paint, and specialized cleaning. If your application is approved they will test your home and make a specialized plan based on the test results.

If you think you may qualify, check out the link below.