- Allentown recently received a $2 million grant to help residents fix health and safety hazards in their homes
- The grant can address mold, asbestos, electrical issues, tripping hazards, roof leaks, radon and more
- Anyone is eligible to apply for funding as long as they make less than 80% of the city’s median income
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lead, asbestos and other health hazards are common in Allentown homes, and now the city has another tool to deal with the problem.
Allentown’s Department of Community & Economic Development received a $2 million grant to help residents fix health and safety hazards in their homes.
It came through the federal Healthy Homes Production Grant Program. Allentown City Council voted to accept the grant at a meeting last month.
Allentown Community Housing Manager Tanya Allison said she applied for the grant as soon as it was available because she knew how much it would benefit the city.
“It makes homes safer for the occupants of the home. It stabilizes the housing stock. And it just kind of improves pride of ownership or rentership, really,” Allison said.
“If you're living in a home that's well-maintained, there's a little more pride in living there. And we hope that that extends to the community and the neighborhood.”
Allison said anyone is eligible to apply for funding as long as they make less than 80% of the city’s median income. Applicants would also need to be up to date on taxes and other city bills.
The grant is available to both homeowners and tenants, but if tenants apply, their landlord needs to submit an application as well.
Allison said the department can spend up to $10,000 per house. The goal is to help about 135 households over the course of 42 months, she said, but the department will help as many families as possible.
Those interested in applying to receive grant funding can contact the Department of Community & Economic Development.
What will the grant do?
The grant will address many different kinds of health and safety hazards in housing, including mold, asbestos, electrical issues, roof leaks, radon and more.
It could also fund lead abatement, but the city already has a $5.7 million grant for that purpose. However, that grant is only for people who are pregnant or who have kids under the age of six.
Allison said the city has been able to address some other issues such as asbestos while using lead-related grants, but this new grant will enable the city to address those issues at a larger scale.
"This is an effort to address things before a roof leak becomes a whole roof needing to be repaired or replaced.”Allentown Community Housing Manager Tanya Allison
Allison said these hazards are common in Allentown because the city has an older housing stock and the city’s median income is lower than the national average.
“A lot of times the maintenance is deferred because people don't have the money to address things before they become a bigger issue,” Allison said. “And then when they're a bigger issue, they're much more expensive.”
“So this is an effort to address things before a roof leak becomes a whole roof needing to be repaired or replaced.”
Alison said the main barriers to people accessing the grant are that people don’t know about it or are hesitant to give financial information to the city government. But sometimes, the program just seems too good to be true.
“If someone told me, ‘Hey, I'm gonna come in to replace the windows in your house, and it's not gonna cost you anything,’ I would say, ‘What's the catch?’” Alison said. “But there's really no catch as long as they're qualified.”
What to know about asbestos and lead
Asbestos and lead are materials that used to be used in housing products. They have since been found to cause cancer and other health problems if airborne or ingested.
Both are okay to be around if they are contained within an intact solid surface.
Allison said since lead paint was used until 1978 and asbestos was used until the early 1970s, older Allentown homes are particularly at risk.
Asbestos can sometimes be found in tiles, which Allison said is not likely to be an issue as long as it’s not disturbed. The main health hazard comes from asbestos which can sometimes be found in the wrapping of exposed pipes.
“People carrying stuff through the basement, the wrapping gets torn and pieces come off, and then they fall on the floor and they're walking on them. So those really can become an issue and get into the air,” Allison said.
Lead is more commonly found in Allentown homes than asbestos, Allison said. It is mostly found in paint, and the older the home, the more likely there is lead paint.
According to the EPA, 87% of homes built before 1940 have some lead-based paint, while 24% of homes built between 1960 and 1978 have some lead-based paint.
“It doesn't mean that you can't live in the home,” Allison said. “It just means that you need to check it every year and make sure that nothing's chipping or peeling. And if it is starting to, you address it right away.”
There are safe methods for dealing with lead paint, such as using wet methods for removal instead of techniques like dry sanding.
The city hosts a free, eight-hour class on lead safety. It is required for contractors, but Allison said it could be useful to anyone who may disturb lead paint, such as landlords, maintenance workers and homeowners who do their own repairs and home improvement projects.
Those interested in the class can contact the Department of Community & Economic Development.
