UNC Greensboro today announced that three UNCG centers are providing comprehensive outreach and referral services to residents of Greensboro. The UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies, the Center for Youth, Family, and Community Partnerships, and the Center for New North Carolinians are assisting the City of Greensboro in screening participants for a federal grant-funded repair program that provides lead paint hazard reduction services at no cost to participants.
The Lead Safe Housing Program is available to qualifying homeowners or landlords if their property is built before 1978. These properties often used lead in paint and other building materials. These materials may be hazardous to the health of residents today. Young children are especially impacted by exposure to lead in the home. This program is aimed at homes where children under six live, or frequently visit.
To qualify, tenants or homeowners must earn 80 percent or below of the area median income adjusted for family size. This program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the City of Greensboro.
The Center for Housing and Community Studies’ role is two-fold: to conduct community outreach through door-to-door canvassing in high lead paint risk neighborhoods, and to deliver relevant health education information in a variety of formats throughout the community. The Center for New North Carolinians provides translated written materials and information sessions conducted in key languages of the local immigrant and refugee communities.
Many immigrants with limited English proficiency continue to live in low-income, substandard housing and are not aware of lead-based paint hazards and other health and safety issues. The Center for Youth, Family, and Community Partnerships is providing technical assistance in data tracking and program evaluation.
To see if your home qualifies for no cost lead-based paint remediation, complete the screening application at https://tinyurl.com/GSOleadsafehomes. To to speak with the program coordinator, call 336-944-6145.
