Westmoreland gets $3.4 million to remove lead paint, other hazards from low-income houses

Lead-based paint will be removed from more than 140 low-income homes in Westmoreland County using federal money.

County officials said $3.4 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will pay for two new programs that will start by early summer to remediate the toxic substance that was predominant in homes built prior to 1978.

About seven of every 10 homes in the county were built before that year’s outlawing of the use of lead-based paint in homes, said Janet Thomas, deputy director of the county’s planning department.

“This is a whole new program for Westmoreland County, and we’re very excited about it,” Thomas said.

Of the grant funds, $3 million will be used to remove lead paint in 142 homes over a three-year period. Households with an annual of income of about $67,000 in 2020 will eligible for the program, Thomas said.

“They will also have to have a child under 6 who spends a significant time there and at least six hours a week in the home,” Thomas said.

That requirement means a young child must be in those homes at least 60 hours a year, she said.

Details about how and when to apply for the program will come later, Thomas said.

“This program serves to protect Westmoreland County children and families from the toxic effects of lead exposure in their homes,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said.

The grant also allocates $400,000 for a companion program to remove health hazards such as mold, allergens and other safety issues from homes with lead paint. The grant will pay to remove those additional hazards from about 80 of the homes targeted for lead paint removal.

Contractors hired to perform the work must be certified by the state. Thomas said the county will use some of the grant funds to conduct training to enable local contractors to become eligible for the work. The training could begin this winter, Thomas said.