ATLANTIC CITY – On Sep 17th, at the Governor’s Conference on Housing and Economic Development, Governor Murphy announced that his Administration will soon commit $180 million to nonprofit organizations and local governments across the state through the Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) Lead Remediation and Abatement Program (LRAP). These funds help grantees conduct lead-safe repairs in homes where adults and children are exposed to lead-based paint. Once DCA obligates the final $40 million this month, it will have awarded all of the Murphy Administration’s historic investment made in the State Fiscal Year 2022 and 2023 budgets to address the threat of childhood lead poisoning.

“We are providing grants to communities up and down our state — from Paterson to Vineland — so we can ensure that every one of our children is protected from the dangers of lead-based paint,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “This funding will directly benefit thousands of households and is a perfect example of how safe housing is at the heart of our Administration’s vision for making New Jersey the best place, anywhere in America, to raise a family.”

“DCA is incredibly proud to administer a grant program that is protecting New Jersey’s families and children from the detrimental effects of lead poisoning,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “By collaborating with nonprofit groups and local governments, we are providing residents with the information and financial assistance they need to live free of lead-based paint in their homes.”

As lead-based paint hazards are identified in housing inspections called for by the lead poisoning prevention laws that Governor Murphy signed in July 2021, the LRAP funding is available to help homeowners and landlords address those hazards. The first round of funding was announced in February 2023 with Governor Murphy and then Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver.

DCA anticipates approximately 7,200 housing units will be addressed as a result of the $180 million in funding. For comparison, the Department remediated or abated 625 homes from 2015 to 2020. Through LRAP funding, DCA will address nearly 12 times the number of homes.

The funding is made possible through federal State Fiscal Recovery Funds included in the American Rescue Plan approved by President Biden during the pandemic. 

There are a total of 55 nonprofits and local governments participating in LRAP. The grantees – all of which received training in lead remediation and abatement – are engaging with people at the neighborhood level in communities that are most impacted by lead poisoning, according to data. The particular focus is on those households who are least able to address lead-based paint hazards with their own funds or other resources and who are more likely to experience other socioeconomic and environmental factors that negatively affect children’s development beyond lead.

“Through outreach to lower-income families and neighborhoods, DCA is maximizing the program’s impact by directing efforts toward those who are most likely to suffer severe and long-term effects from lead-based paint poisoning,” said DCA Assistant Commissioner Janel Winter, who leads the Division of Housing and Community Resources.

Lead-based paint was widely used in buildings, including residential housing, constructed before 1978, which is the year lead was banned from household paints in the U.S. Exposure to lead paint is a health threat, especially for children under six years of age who may touch, swallow, or breathe in lead dust. Exposure can cause adverse health effects including brain damage, slowed growth and development, and other problems affecting learning, behavior, hearing, and speech.

Grantees are using the LRAP funding to address lead-based paint hazards through remediation and abatement.

Lead remediation focuses on reducing the risk of exposure to lead paint without necessarily removing all of it. Remediation can include paint stabilization, making surfaces smooth and cleanable, and correcting dust-generating conditions. Lead abatement involves the complete removal of lead paint via replacement and/or repair.

In addition to LRAP, DCA also administers other lead poisoning prevention programs, including the Lead-Safe Home Remediation Program, the NRTC Lead-Based Paint Hazard program, and the Single-Family Home Remediation Program. More information about the programs can be found at  leadabatement.nj.gov, https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/leadsafe.shtml and https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/nrtc_leadpaint.shtml.

The Division of Housing and Community Resources is committed to strengthening neighborhoods through the delivery of affordable housing and supportive services and to providing financial and technical assistance to municipalities, community action agencies, and other nonprofit organizations for community and economic development projects that improve the quality of life for residents, especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged.

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, fire safety, building safety, community planning and development, disaster recovery and mitigation, historic preservation, and information privacy.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/