The lead-based paint hazard reduction (LHR) grant program is to maximize the number of children under the age of six protected from lead poisoning by assisting states, cities, counties/parishes,…

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control awarded the City of Chelsea $2,242,367 on March 16, 2026, under the Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program (CFDA 14.905) to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in privately-owned rental and owner-occupied housing.

The City will target lead hazard control efforts in housing units built before 1960, with priority given to pre-1940 construction where children under six face the greatest risk of lead poisoning. Work will employ cost-effective lead hazard control methods and build local capacity of trained and certified individuals and firms to address lead hazards safely during hazard control, renovation, remodeling, and maintenance activities. The program will develop community-based approaches integrating the grant within other local housing, health, and safety initiatives through public and private partnerships serving low-income families with children under age six.

Place of performance is Chelsea, Massachusetts. The period of performance runs from March 16, 2026, through March 16, 2030. The program's core objectives include targeting units in communities with significant pre-1940 housing stock where children in low-income and minority neighborhoods face elevated blood lead exposure risk, ensuring cost-effective control methods that provide long-term safety, and building durable local capacity for lead-hazard work. Healthy Homes Supplemental funding is available to comprehensively address other housing hazards affecting occupant health in treated units. All abatement, repair, and rehabilitation work requires completion of an environmental review before commencement, conducted through HUD's tiered Environmental Review Online System (HEROS).

Activities

Program funds will be awarded to applicants to accomplish the following objectives: a. Targeted units: target lead hazard control efforts in housing units where children less than 6 years of age are at greatest risk of lead poisoning (pre-1960, and, especially, pre-1940 construction), which has historically included children in low-income and minority neighborhoods, to reduce the likelihood of elevated blood lead levels in these children. B. Cost effectiveness: utilize cost-effective lead hazard control methods and approaches that ensure the long-term safety of the building occupants. C. Capacity: build local capacity of trained and certified individuals and firms to address lead hazards safely and effectively during lead hazard control, renovation, remodeling, and maintenance activities. Another core element for capacity includes the development of comprehensive, community-based approaches to integrating this grant program within other local initiatives through public and private partnerships that address housing related health and safety hazards and/or serve low-income families with children under the age of six (6). D. Affirmative marketing: establish and implement a detailed process of monitoring and ensuring that units made lead-safe are affirmatively marketed, and priority given, to families with children under age 6 years for not less than three years. E. Data collection: gather pre- and post-treatment data that supports and validates lead hazard control investments. Program data collected should support the evaluation of grant program activities and outcomes. F. Targeted outreach and education: conducting targeted outreach, affirmative marketing, education or outreach programs on lead hazard control and lead poisoning prevention designed to increase the ability of the applicant to deliver the specified lead hazard control services through this program; including educating owners of eligible rental properties, tenants, and others on the benefits and expectations of participating in this program provided by "title X" of the residential lead-based paint hazard reduction act of 1992.

Expected outcomes

To identify and clean up dangerous lead in low-income families' homes where low-income families were children 6 and under reside. These investments will protect families and children by targeting significant lead and health hazards in over 3,700 low-income homes for which other resources are not available.

Intended beneficiaries

To assist states, cities, counties/parishes, native american tribes or other units of local government in undertaking comprehensive programs to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned rental or owner-occupied housing populations were children under 6 reside.

Subrecipient activities

The subrecipient activities are unknown at the time of award.