Lead Safety and Healthy Homes Program
Overview
About the Lead Safety and Healthy Homes Program
— Formerly Lead Safe Neighborhoods Program —
Environmental Services Department staff members associated with the LSHHP are certified by the State of California to perform inspections and project monitoring related to the safe abatement of lead hazards.
- Lead Safety and Healthy Homes Program History
- Lead Safety and Healthy Homes Program Brochure (formerly Lead Safe Neighborhoods Program)
- Programa de Comunidades Seguras Sin Plomo
New Lead Hazard Prevention and Control Ordinance
The new Lead Hazard Prevention and Control Ordinance became effective on May 9, 2008. This new ordinance may affect you if you:
- Disturb painted surfaces on any building, home or structure
- Own a pre-1978 rental property
- Conduct lead inspections or risk assessments
- Own or manage a home improvement or water pressure equipment rental stores
- Have children that attend a childcare facility, or own or operate a childcare facility
Learn more about the Lead Hazard Prevention and Control Ordinance.
Tips and Complaints
If you are a tenant in a house or apartment built before 1979 that contains deteriorated paint, and are unable to have the property owner correct the problem, or if you observe anyone unsafely disturbing paint on a pre-1978 building (i.e., scraping, with paint chips falling to the ground), you can file a confidential complaint. The City will perform an on-site inspection to determine if lead hazards are present and work with the owner and/or contractor to correct the problem(s). Call 858-694-7000 or email Lead-Safe@sandiego.gov to file a confidential complaint. You must provide your contact information in order for the City to conduct the investigation.
Training and Outreach Available for Individuals and Organizations
If you work on painted surfaces, you are likely contaminating both your clients' environment and tracking poisonous dust into your own home. It doesn't take much lead contamination to poison a child and leave him or her permanently impaired. Effective April 22, 2010, contractors who perform home improvement activity in housing built prior to 1978 and any child occupied facility must be trained and certified in accordance with the new EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) rule.
You can also learn more about working "lead safe" by watching this "Keys to Lead Safety" video now.
Is the 8-hour training not right for you? Please contact us at lead-safe@sandiego.gov to see if we can provide training or presentations to meet the specific needs of your organization or community event.
Funding Sources to Improve Residential Properties
The Lead Safety and Healthy Homes Program administers several local, state and federal grants and forgivable loan programs. To see if a grant or loan is currently available for your property*, call 858-694-7000 and ask for the Lead Safety and Healthy Homes Program. Many of these services are provided in partnership with the San Diego Housing Commission.
*Residents must qualify as low income, and there must be a child below the age of seven spending at least 30 percent of his or her time in the home.