The City of San Diego is launching a Program to remediate lead hazards in private residential structures throughout the City of San Diego. This program is being funded as part of a lawsuit settlement, so these services will be conducted at little or no cost to property owners.

What will these funds be used for?

The primary purpose of the Program is to remediate lead hazards from privately-owned, residential properties in low to moderate-income areas. All assistance is provided confidentially.

Lead paint is the primary source of childhood lead poisoning. Even small levels of lead in a child’s blood can do permanent damage including developmental and behavior problems.

Funds will be used to abate lead hazards on properties and will not be used for home beautification. This program will do its best to match current paint colors, but cannot guarantee the colors will match exactly.

SDRLAP funding will also be used for education and outreach activities.

Who is encouraged to apply? 

Homeowners with properties located within the City of San Diego, with properties meeting the following criteria:

• Housing built prior to 1960 (excluding: properties scheduled for demolition, major remodel or properties with open code violations or unpermitted alterations; in violation of current health and safety codes that require more than minor repair; and institutional group quarters such as nursing homes, dormitories, rehabilitation residences, supervised apartment living quarters for youths and non-home based daycare centers).
• Or housing built prior to 1979 with a child less than 6 years of age who lives in, or otherwise frequently visits, who has detectable levels of lead in their blood based on a venous blood draw.
• Or any housing built prior to 1979 with a resident child less than 18 years of age with levels of lead in their blood at or above 5 micrograms per deciliter based on a venous blood draw.

What impact will this have on San Diego property owners and residents?

Property Owners: At little or no cost to property owners, funding from this settlement will pay for lead inspections, lead hazard assessments and remediation of lead hazards and, if required, temporary relocation of residents during the abatement activities.

Property owners may be required to co-share costs for their project based on the property owner’s income. Please see potential co-share percentages below that are based on the income limits found here.

General Contractors:  The City previously offered free, state-certified Lead-Related Construction Supervisor training to interested local contractors. This five-day training, which typically costs more than $600 per person, and the corresponding certifications, are required for contractors who conduct tasks that permanently eliminate lead-based paint hazards. The Program may be offering three-day worker training at no cost in the future. These certifications are not difficult to obtain, but the certification process can take time to complete.

To learn more about these state certifications visit the CDPH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention website.

Outreach, enrollment and education services

Outreach, enrollment and education services will be provided by the City’s program contractor, the Environmental Health Coalition (EHC).

The City and EHC have a long history working together to reduce lead hazards throughout the city of San Diego. EHC has experience conducting education and outreach in neighborhoods throughout the city and has developed strong relationships within the communities served. They will be an integral member of the Program, providing outreach services and engaging with city residents.

Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) is a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to achieving environmental and social justice in the San Diego/Tijuana region and throughout California. For more than 40 years, EHC has worked to reduce pollution and improve health and well-being for thousands of people in underserved, low-income communities of color.

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