By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
Sullivan County Manager Derek Ferland announced that the county is receiving $4 million in Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant money, which will go toward the continued efforts to protect children under six from lead poisoning.
“These monies will be used to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned or owner-occupied housing populations throughout the region,” Ferland said in a statement released on Oct. 24.
Lead is a poisonous metal that can cause damage to the brain, kidneys, nerves and blood. It can cause learning disabilities, seizures and even death. Symptoms include headaches, stomach aches, nausea, tiredness and irritability, but sometimes there are no symptoms at all.
According to the county website, lead poisoning is 100% preventable, but it can be detrimental to the health of children if exposed. This includes putting their hands and other lead contaminated items in their mouths, crawling on floors with lead-paint dust, touching lead-paint dust during renovations of old homes and playing outside in lead contaminated soils.
This is the second grant that the county has received by HUD, and this time it will go toward hiring a program manager, contract with a certified Lead Inspection and Risk Assessor, and “hit the ground running to help families currently on our waiting list, who have been waiting patiently to hear this good news.”
“Our target is to make 100 housing units safe from hazards associated with lead paint,” Ferland explained. “As we’ve previously mentioned, over 80% of our Sullivan County homes were built prior to 1978, which was when lead-based paint was banned by the United States. Once we get the ‘green light’ from HUD, we can start placing projects out to bid.”
The county is accepting resumes for the program manager position, which will require a minimum of 30 hours per week during 48-month time period.
The funds are part of HUD’s Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration program, and Sullivan County joins 73 state and local governments in the endeavor. In total, HUD awarded $420 million, and Sullivan County joins the likes of Nashua, Manchester and the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority.
Just over four years ago, the county announced that they received $1,703,524 from HUD, and funds were used to eliminate lead-based hazards for low-income families. The funds included $1,303,524 for lead hazards and another $400,000 from the “Healthy Homes” program to address health and safety deficiencies that were not related to lead hazards.
“With the program period of 42 months, we inspected 85 houses and completed 66 units; and we provided fiscal oversite for monies from other organizations to help support these efforts: JSI Research Institute, State & Local Fiscal Recovery American Rescue Plan Act, The NH Housing Loan Program, and pledges through the NH CDFA Tax Credit program from local financial institutions,” Ferland said. “The ‘village’ pulled together to help our community.”
There are several requirements for property owners. Occupants must be at or below 80% of Area Median Family Income (AMFI) to qualify for the grant, and at or below 90% of AMFI for the 0% loan. Property owners also must pay 10% of the project costs as an owner match. Match funds cannot come from another federal source, but state funds qualify. This includes the 0% loan. Funds can also not be spent on property without State Environmental review and lead inspection/risk assessment that identifies a presence of lead paint, dust or soil hazards.
Interested homeowners, landlords, tenants, or contractors who would like more information can email Sharon Callum at [email protected]. They can also log onto https://www.sullivancountynh.gov/1236/Lead-Paint-Abatement-Healthy-Homes-Progr.
Those interested in the program manager position can send a cover letter and resume to [email protected], or to County Manager Derek Ferland at 14 Main Street, Newport, NH, 03773.
