Hundreds of San Diego Homes Get Lead Paint Removal Help

The funds, awarded to the San Diego Housing Commission, will enable the city's Lead Safe San Diego program to assist at least 516 households within the city over the next three years.

"The Lead Safe program has helped many lower-income families reduce the risks of lead poisoning," said Mayor Jerry Sanders, announcing the grant on Friday. "It's an excellent example of how the city works in tandem with other community organizations to improve the health and safety of San Diego residents."

Grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 per unit are available for owner-occupied and rental housing built before 1979. The program targets homes with children under the age of six, and eligibility is based on family size and income.

Lead paint is dangerous to young children, and it is sometimes present in older houses and apartments. If a child chews on windowsills, built-in cabinets, and other surfaces covered with paint containing lead, he or she may develop serious health problems.

Peeling lead paint in an older California building (Photo by James Wacht)

Both inside and outside the home, deteriorated lead paint mixes with household dust and soil and can be tracked inside. Children may become lead poisoned by putting their hands or other lead-contaminated objects into their mouths, eating paint chips found in homes with peeling or flaking lead-based paint, or playing in lead-contaminated soil.

Even small amounts of lead can have severe effects on a child's nervous system and can cause brain damage, learning disabilities, reduced muscle and bone growth, hearing loss, behavioral problems, seizures and in extreme cases, death.

Some symptoms of lead poisoning may include headaches, stomach aches, nausea, tiredness and irritability. Or, children who are lead poisoned may show no symptoms.

Children under six years of age are at higher risk for lead poisoning because their bodies absorb more lead, and because their hand-to-mouth activities increase exposure.

In 2007, San Diego County had the third highest number of lead poisoned children in the state, according to county Health Department data.

Since 2002, HUD has provided more than $17 million in funding to help eliminate lead hazards in 735 San Diego housing units.

The Lead Safe San Diego program is a collaborative effort between the city of San Diego and other organizations all working toward the goal of eliminating lead poisoning as a major health concern.

The program is administered by the San Diego Housing Commission in conjunction with the city's Environmental Services Department, the Environmental Health Coalition, the County of San Diego Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and other program partners.

"Keeping homes healthy and safe is a high priority for us, and that's what the program is about," said Rick Gentry, president and chief executive of the San Diego Housing Commission. "For the second time, HUD has granted us the maximum amount available for this type of program, which is a testament to the effectiveness of the program."

In 2002, the City began implementation of the Lead Safe Neighborhoods Program, gathering resources from various city and county agencies and departments, as well as nonprofit and community-based organizations. Lead hazards are now defined as substandard housing and can be cited by City Code Enforcement personnel.

For more information on lead paint safety, contact San Diego Housing Commission at 619-578-7521, or send an email to lead-safe@sandiego.gov.

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