The City of Galesburg recently received a large housing grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grant will help reduce lead paint hazards in approximately 200 houses in the city. Approximately $20,000 will be spent on average per home with no cost to the homeowner.
“Approximately 81% of the homes in Knox County were constructed prior to 1978,” said Director of Planning and Public Works Wayne Carl. “Any paint that was sold or used before 1978 had lead in it. So all those homes are potential candidates for lead poisoning. While we’re working hard to replace lead water service lines- the main culprit is lead paint chips and actually lead paint dust. That lead paint dust is the main culprit for raising children’s blood level.” Work will include new windows, doors, trim, porch, siding and painting. Each home that applies will be inspected by a licensed lead inspector and low to moderate-income homes with an emphasis on children under 6 will have top priority.
If your home was built prior to 1978 you are encouraged to apply. “The income levels are a little higher than what you might expect,” Carl said. “I can’t encourage people enough to come to the public meeting. There’s absolutely no cost to the homeowner for this. You’re not going to get dinged on your property taxes. If the work is slightly more than $20,000 – we’ll cover that too. It’s all part of the grant. There’s no harm in coming (to the meeting). If you end up not qualifying because of income, maybe there’s some other program that we can put you in contact with.” The meeting is being held on Tuesday, October 22nd at 5:00 pm at City Hall with all the information a homeowner needs to apply for the program.
