Baltimore City’s Board of Estimates approved more than $300,000 in grants Wednesday to remove lead from several dozen city homes.
The Lead Abatement Action Program provides grants to homeowners and landlords seeking funding to remove lead from city dwellings. The grants approved by the board will fund cleanups of 55 city homes throughout the city.
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“This is part of a long-term project to increase the number of remediated units,” said City Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein, whose agency administers the program by processing applications from qualified homeowners.
“By using federal and state funds for remediation, we are able to make housing units safer for children and families. This is part of our overall Healthy Homes effort, which aims to reduce a variety of hazards in city housing.”
The Lead Abatement Action Program gives $3 million annually to homeowners and landlords for both lead abatement and lead remediation.
Lead abatement, which is more costly than remediation, removes all lead paint from the home. Lead remediation involves removing toxic dust from surface areas and vacuuming lead paint chips.
Lead poisoning is particularly harmful to children. Early exposure to lead retards the development of the prefrontal lobe — the areas of the brain that controls long-term decision making and impulsivity — and also can affect later IQ levels.
Several medical studies have shown links between lead poisoning and later behavioral problems, including drug addiction and criminal behavior.
