Lead Paint Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the City of Nashua a three-year, $3,000,000 grant to address lead hazards in privately owned housing. Grants are targeted to housing units where low-income households live, especially those with children less than six years of age. It is our mission to improve the safety and living conditions of low-moderate income households and support the Federal goal of eliminating childhood lead poisoning as a major health problem. Our goals include evaluating and addressing lead hazards in at least 150 private residential units, performing community outreach and education and increasing the number of licensed lead professionals through training.
What is Lead Paint?
Lead is a poisonous metal that may cause health problems, especially in young children. When lead gets into the body, it can cause damage to the brain, the kidneys, nerves and blood.
Lead may also cause behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures and in extreme cases, death. Some symptoms of lead poisoning may include headaches, stomachaches, nausea, tiredness and irritability. Many children who are lead poisoned show no symptoms.
Children may be lead poisoned by:
- Putting their hands and other lead contaminated items in their mouths, such as toys
- Crawling around on floors that may have lead-paint dust
- Touching lead-paint dust from sanding old paint or renovations of old homes
- Playing outside in lead contaminated soil
- Folk remedies
Lead can be dangerous when:
- There is chipping and peeling paint inside the home
- Lead painted surfaces rub against each other, such as windows and doors opening and closing
- Children play in soil and dirt outside a home that is lead painted
- Contaminated soil is tracked in the home on shoes or pets
How we can help you:
- Grants of up to $10,000 per unit are available, for qualified properties, toward the cost of addressing the lead hazards
- Most properties will be given a letter of Interim Controls, meaning the owner will need to maintain the lead-safe condition when complete, details will be explained in person
- Units under order by the NH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program will meet an abatement standard and result in a letter of Lead-Safe (this condition also needs to be maintained once complete)
- If qualified for the Program, we will pay for the costs of the lead paint inspections, risk assessments and clearance
- Tenants may receive a $400 stipend per household toward temporary relocation
- If additional funds are needed, loans may be available to qualified home owners through a partnership with Hampshire First Bank
- Free blood lead screening for children less than six years old through the Division of Public Health
- Home visits by Public Health Staff
- Printed educational information
Who is eligible:
The following types of properties may be eligible:
- Built before 1978 and located in Nashua
- Owner-occupied
- Investor-owned
- Single and multi-family buildings
- Mixed use (example: business on ground floor with residential units above)
- Ineligible units include: Zero bedroom (studios); condominiums; and interior commercial space
Owner-occupants and their tenants must meet the income limits below:
|
Family Size
|
Annual Income
|
|
1
|
$44,800
|
|
2
|
$51,200
|
|
3
|
$57,600
|
|
4
|
$64,000
|
|
5
|
$69,100
|
|
6
|
$74,250
|
|
7
|
$79,350
|
|
8
|
$84,500
|
The income limits for tenants of investor-owned properties vary between 50% and 80% of the area median income (AMI). Buildings with 5 or more units may even have households whose income exceeds 80% AMI. Please call for details.
NOTE: As a condition of the Program, landlords must agree to rent to low-moderate income tenants for a three-year period and give preferance in renting to families with children less than six years of age.
How to apply:
If you are interested in applying, please call or click the links below to print the required forms:
Owner-Occupied Property Application
Investor-Owned Property Application
Tenant Packet (Complete one for each occupied unit)
Training Opportunities:
- Low-income Nashua Residents can enroll through The Institute for Environmental Education for lead training conducted at Nashua City Hall. Click here for additional information.
- A limited amount of funds are available to reimburse contractors who become certified Lead Abatement Contractors or pay for employee training. You must agree to credibly bid on at least three projects through the Lead Paint Program. Proof of payment, certification and other conditions apply. Please call Carrie Johnson Schena, Program Manager, at 603-589-3098 for additional information.
To achieve all of the above goals, the City partners with the following agencies:
City of Nashua's Division of Health and Community Services
Southern NH Services
Nashua Pastoral Care Center
For more lead poisoning information, please click on the links below to visit:
HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
New Hampshire's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
City of Nashua's Division of Health and Community Services