The City of Detroit’s Housing & Revitalization Department’s Detroit LeadSafe Housing Program recently partnered with Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (UNI) and Brilliant Detroit to announce the expansion of a free lead paint removal program and promote awareness about the dangers of lead to children.
LeadSafe Housing is a free program to remove lead-based paint hazards in homes where children under the age of 6 are living, including pregnant mothers. This includes ANY home where children would be living or visiting 6+ hours a week.
The LeadSafe program’s expansion from just the 48209 ZIP code to two new ones in Southwest Detroit: 48210 and 48217. The ZIP codes selected for the program were chosen based on HUD requirements involving the age of homes, number of children aged six or younger and household income in the area. The expansion means more Detroit children will now be protected from the dangers of lead.
“Many of the homes in our neighborhood were built at a time when lead paint was used and the LeadSafe Program provides critical services and removes hazardous lead sources in homes,” said Christine Bell, UNI Executive Director. “My hope is that residents with children under the age of 6 will take full advantage of the LeadSafe Program so that their homes are as safe as possible for them.”
In addition to information about the lead removal grant, more housing resources are available through the program. If they qualify, residents can sign up to have the lead paint removed from their home free of charge.
Residents who are interested in learning more can visit www.detroitmi.gov/GetTheLeadOut. Additionally, residents can call the City of Detroit’s Housing and Revitalization Department. For English call 313-224-6380 and for Spanish call 313-498-2305.
There are also opportunities for qualified contractors to join the program. For information about bilingual (English/Spanish) lead abatement contractor training , contact Yazmin Payan, General Manager of Puente Cultural Integration at 313-349-0089 or team@puenteci.com.
