Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Program

LEAD BASED PAINT HAZARD CONTROL PROGRAM

Program Objectives: The program goals and objectives are to make housing units within the City of Waterloo “Lead-Safe”, in accordance with the Lead Hazard Control (LEAD) Program.

Funding to property owners will be in the form of a forgivable loan.  The intent of this type of financing is to encourage participation in the program and preservation of affordable housing.

All properties are required to submit the necessary application for submission into the program. All units must be constructed prior to 1978.  Additionally, in owner occupied housing, the unit must be the applicant’s principal place of residence with a child under the age of six years old residing at the property or meeting HUD’s definition of a significantly visiting child. In rental housing, a unit with a tenant with a residing child less than six years old shall be given first priority. In vacant rental housing units; a unit that had a child less than six years old residing, that has been verified to have had an elevated lead blood level previously shall receive priority. In all vacant rental units, a future tenant with a child less than six years old shall receive eligibility preference for the affordability period of the forgivable loan or not less than five years.

Applicants must meet current income guidelines as established by HUD which is updated annually.

CD FlyerTypes of Assistance

Funding assistance will be in the form of a forgivable loan.  If forgivable loan conditions are not met, recapture is made via the lien on the forgivable mortgage that was recorded on the property, which is released at the end of the 5-year affordability period. The loan shall be forgiven in the amount of 1/5th of the original loan amount on each anniversary date of the executed mortgage during the affordability period   It is expected that lead hazard control should average $16,000.00 per unit. Healthy Homes Supplemental funding will be made available to both Owner Occupied and Rental units on a case by case basis.  Healthy Homes Supplemental funding may only be made available to those units receiving Lead Hazard Control Grant funding.

  • Owner-occupied units:  
    • Lead Hazard Control Grant funds are available to homeowners as forgivable loans, these loans will be forgiven after the homeowner has resided in the home for a period of 5 years. If during the affordability period, the homeowner sells, vacates, rents, abandons or otherwise transfers the property the homeowner will immediately pay the unforgiven portion of the loan.
    • The eligible income level for these forgivable loans is at or below 80% level of median income, these annual income levels vary with the household size.
    • The unit receiving grant funds must be built before 1978 and be the principal residence of the applicant. 
    • Units must have a child under the age of six years residing or qualify as a frequently visiting child per HUD’s requirements. 
  • Rental units:  
    • A landlord shall contribute 100% of the lead hazard control cost that exceeds $18,500.00.
    • The units receiving grant funds must be built before 1978.
    • The 50/50/80 rule applies to tenant/occupant income. 
    • For rental properties, 50% of all rental units must be occupied by families with incomes at or below 50% of the median income.  The remainder of the units must be occupied by families with incomes at or below 80% of the median income. 
    • For all rental properties, there is a 5-year period of affordability. The landlord shall rent units assisted for not less than five years following the completion of lead hazard control activities to families meeting the income requirement.
    • The landlord must show a good faith effort to give priority to families with children under the age of six.
    • Vacant units must be less than 10% of the total units under this program. Vacant rental units must have been occupied by a family with children under the age of six and with a recommendation of assistance from the Black Hawk County Health Department because an EBL child had been living in the unit.
    • The program will verify the status of rental-occupied units annually, and if the landlord has not shown a good-faith effort to give priority  to families with children under the age of 6 years old, recapture of expended grant funds may be made through various programmatic and contract agreements entered into with the property owner at the time of contract. 

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