Kalamazoo highlights lead-based paint hazard reduction
Published on January 09, 2025
January is National Radon Awareness Month, and the City of Kalamazoo is spreading the word in 2025 about removing and abating lead-based paint hazards in qualifying City households at no cost to the property owner.
The City of Kalamazoo partners with Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (KNHS) to remove and abate hazards for free to households. The program also applies to property owners who rent to tenants with children in properties built prior to 1978.
Households that qualify for the lead-based paint program also receive a Healthy Homes assessment which includes a radon test. Radon is one of the hazards that homes are always tested for when they qualify for the program. Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that’s produced by the decay of uranium, thorium, or radium in rocks, soil, and water. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking.
Lead is a heavy metal that was used in construction and household paints before 1978. Although it has been banned in residential paint, it remains a hazard in older homes. Lead is dangerous for humans, especially in children. Even very low levels of lead in children’s bodies are linked to negative effects on intellect, concentration, behavior, and academic achievement.
“Kalamazoo is committed to leading the way to be a lead safe community,” said Rachael Smith, compliance coordinator in the Department of Community Planning and Economic Development for the City of Kalamazoo. “Kalamazoo has a lot of old homes and lead levels are a concern. The most common ways to get lead poisoning are dust from friction surfaces and deteriorating paint throughout a home. Lead-based paint chips and dust can be detrimental to a child’s health, resulting in behavior problems, learning disabilities and, in extreme cases, seizures or death. The toxicity of lead when absorbed in the body can also result in brain damage as well as damage to other vital systems such as the kidneys, nerves, and blood. We want everyone to know about the dangers of lead in homes and what they can do about it.”
More information on Kalamazoo’s free lead-based paint hazard reduction program and the City’s ongoing commitment to protecting the community from lead hazards can be found here. Applications for the lead-based paint hazard reduction program are accepted and processed by KNHS, which is located at 1219 S. Park St. in Kalamazoo, or anyone interested can contact KNHS at (269) 385-2916.
The City of Kalamazoo is also heavily focused on eliminating lead in the water supply system and replacing lead service lines throughout the city. Free lead and copper testing are provided to City customers upon request and NSF Certified point-of-use filters are provided at no charge to homes within the water supply system. Customers are urged to call 311 or (269) 337-8000 for questions about these services or to arrange for free lead sampling. Prioritized lead service line replacement is provided for any home testing above the action level.
Outside the City, Kalamazoo County has a Lead Poisoning Prevention Program including a designated nurse to help educate families about early lead testing and to decrease the incidence of lead poisoning in children. Information on the county program can be found here.