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  • Posted on: 07/16/2024

Funding Will Help Remediate and Abate Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) Communities

Trenton, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today announced the award of $6.77 million in funding to help communities in the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) program remediate and abate lead-based paint hazards found in residential housing. The NRTC Lead-Based Paint Hazard program is one of several lead-safe initiatives DCA administers to prevent lead poisoning by reducing people’s exposure to lead paint in homes.

“The Murphy Administration is committed to reducing the threat of lead poisoning in the state’s older housing stock where lead-based paint is frequently found,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “No child or adult should have to live with the detrimental and lasting health effects of lead poisoning. Through the NRTC Lead-Based Paint Hazard program, DCA is partnering with communities around the state to provide New Jersey residents with the information and assistance they need to remediate or abate their homes and live lead free.”

“DCA looks forward to working with the community organizations awarded funding,” said DCA Assistant Commissioner Janel Winter, who leads the Division of Housing and Community Resources. “We believe that this collaboration can help significantly reduce lead poisoning in our neighborhoods and improve people’s health and well-being.”

Lead-based paint was widely used in buildings, including residential housing, constructed before 1978, which is the year lead was banned from household paints in the U.S. Exposure to lead paint is a health threat, especially for children under six years of age who may touch, swallow, or breathe in lead dust. Exposure can cause adverse health effects including brain damage, slowed growth and development, and other problems affecting learning, behavior, hearing, and speech.

Recognizing this ongoing threat of lead poisoning, the Murphy Administration has set an overall goal of identifying and addressing lead hazards at scale, as called for in the lead paint hazard inspection law enacted in 2021 (P.L.2021, c.182). As lead paint hazards are identified in inspections called for by the law, the Administration wants to ensure funds are available to help families address those hazards.

The NRTC Lead-Based Paint Hazard program is focused on helping households at or below 80 percent of area median income that live in single family to four-family housing units built before 1978 with lead paint remediation and abatement. The funding is going to community organizations that participate in DCA’s NRTC program and have an approved NRTC neighborhood plan. The organizations were selected in response to a request for proposals.

The funding, which is coming from American Rescue Plan dollars allocated to the State, will be used for:

  • Identification of lead-based paint hazards;
  • Remediation or abatement of lead-based paint hazards done by a contractor certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to perform renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes;
  • Temporary relocation of household members when necessary during the remediation or abatement work;
  • Moderate repairs required to protect the integrity of the lead remediation or abatement (i.e., a minor roof leak that needs to be addressed prior to remediation or abatement work); and
  • Post-remediation/abatement testing.

Lead abatement involves the complete removal of lead paint via replacement and/or repair. Lead remediation focuses on reducing the risk of exposure to lead paint without necessarily removing all of it. Remediation can include paint stabilization, making surfaces smooth and cleanable, and correcting dust-generating conditions.

The funding award recipients are listed below:

Community Organization County Project Name Funds Awarded
Camden Lutheran Housing, Inc. Camden North Camden Healthy Homes 2024 $ 295,650
Clinton Hill Community Action Essex Upper Clinton Hill, Lead Based Paint Hazards $ 1,290,600
Elizabeth Development Company of New Jersey Union Historic Midtown Lead Based Paint Hazards $ 769,500
Jewish Renaissance Foundation, Inc. Middlesex PAAC LBPH $ 1,285,000
New Brunswick Tomorrow Middlesex Esperanza Neighborhood LBPH Remediation & Abatement $ 575,100
New Jersey Community Development Corporation Passaic NRTC LBPH $1,987,200
Stand Up for Salem Salem Center of Salem Lead Based Paint Hazards $ 573,750

 

In addition to the NRTC Lead-Based Paint Hazard program, DCA also administers other lead assistance programs, including the New Jersey Lead Remediation and Abatement Program (LRAP), the Lead-Safe Home Remediation Program, and the Single-Family Home Remediation Program. More information about the programs can be found at  leadabatement.nj.gov and https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/leadsafe.shtml.

The Division of Housing and Community Resources is committed to strengthening neighborhoods through the delivery of affordable housing and supportive services and to providing financial and technical assistance to municipalities, community action agencies, and other nonprofit organizations for community and economic development projects that improve the quality of life for residents, especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged.

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, fire safety, building safety, community planning and development, disaster recovery and mitigation, historic preservation, and information privacy.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: