Boston Offers Up to $12,000 per Unit to Remove Lead Paint; Ask in Person Oct. 27

Boston property owners who want help paying to remove lead paint can get in-person answers on Tuesday, Oct. 27, when the city holds Lead Safe Boston office hours from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1010 Massachusetts Ave., second floor. The free session marks National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, and no appointment is needed.

Lead Safe Boston office hours on Oct. 27

According to the city’s event listing, the session is run by the Mayor’s Office of Housing and the Boston Public Health Commission. Property owners can ask questions and get help with their applications. Walk-ins are welcome. Questions can go to the health commission at leadpoisoning@bphc.org.

If you can’t make it Tuesday, the city’s program page lists more office hours on Dec. 15, Feb. 16, April 20, June 15 and Aug. 17.

What the city offers

The Lead Safe Boston program, run through the Boston Home Center, lists:

• forgivable loans of up to $12,000 for each unit in a home,
• technical advice from city lead specialists,
• free lead paint inspections, and
• help complying with state lead law so owners can claim lead removal tax credits.

The city says it will set up an inspection to find out how much work is needed and what it will cost, then help the owner find a contractor and set a timeline. Work can begin once the owner signs the loan documents. After the work is done, a lead specialist, a lead inspector and Inspectional Services do a final inspection before the contractor gets the final payment.

A Massachusetts-licensed lead inspector then issues a Letter of Compliance, which the city says qualifies the owner for a $3,000 state tax credit.

Who qualifies, and the strings attached

Applicants must own property in Boston. Owner-occupants of one- to four-family homes who live with a child age six or younger must have income at or below 80% of the Community Development Block Grant moderate income limit. Owners who don’t live in the building must give priority to tenants with children six or younger; at least half of their tenants must be low or moderate income, and the rest at or below the same 80% limit.

The loans come with conditions. The city says owners must repay the loan in full if they move, sell, refinance or transfer the home within three years. If all terms are met after three years, the city says there is no repayment of the grant. (The program page describes the loans as up to $12,000 per unit in one place and refers to a “$10,000 per unit grant” in its repayment section; applicants should confirm the current figure with the city.)

The application is available in English and 10 other languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole and Vietnamese. The housing office can be reached at 617-635-3880 or housing@boston.gov.

Why it matters for kids

The city notes that lead poisoning can lead to learning disabilities in young children. Under the Massachusetts Lead Law, owners of homes where a child under six lives must remove or control lead hazards, whether or not they knew the lead was there. The CDC says a blood test is the best way to find out whether a child has lead poisoning, since many children show no obvious symptoms.

Boston isn’t the only city putting money into lead removal. Worcester recently announced a lead grant for homeowners; see our story on Worcester’s $5.5 million lead grant. For more on the cost of housing here, read why Boston housing is so expensive and Malden’s work to replace lead pipes.

Sources

• City of Boston: Lead Safe Boston Office Hours: Oct. 27 time, place, partners.
• City of Boston: Get Financial Help to Remove Lead From Your Home: loan terms, eligibility, process, future dates.
• Mass.gov: Learn about Massachusetts Lead Law: owner duties when a child under six lives in a home.
• CDC: Testing for Lead Poisoning in Children: blood testing.

Additional sources

• CDC: National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week: background on the annual campaign.
• Massachusetts Legislature: M.G.L. c. 111, § 197: text of the state lead law.