Oakland is getting a multimillion-dollar federal boost to rip out toxic lead paint from dozens of homes where kids live and play. City officials say the roughly $4.4 million lead-hazard grant will pay to remove lead from about 50 low-income homes and cover related healthy-home repairs, while also helping expand the small pool of contractors certified to do the high-risk work. The effort will prioritize households with young children and is expected to start rolling out this fall.
The Housing and Community Development Department has recommended that the city accept and appropriate up to $4.4 million from HUD’s Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program and sign a professional-services agreement with Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley for about $4.02 million, with roughly $321,397 reserved for workforce and contractor capacity, according to the City of Oakland. The Community & Economic Development Committee voted unanimously to send the measure to the full City Council.
Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley, the nonprofit the city plans to tap to administer the program, already runs a Lead Safe Homes Program that offers testing, risk assessments, lead-safe abatement, and temporary relocation support when work makes it necessary, according to Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley. The program page also includes an interest form and step-by-step application guidance for eligible homeowners and tenants.
What the Grant Will Cover
The federal award is expected to reach about 50 additional households over a four-year span, and some of those homes may also qualify to have other healthy-home hazards, such as mold or radon, addressed alongside the lead work, as reported by The Oaklandside. The city says it will prioritize low-income households with children under 6 and focus on census tracts with the highest lead risk. City staff told community groups that the program design should be finalized by late spring so that on-the-ground work can begin in the fall.
Why Oakland Says Action Is Urgent
Public-health reporting and advocates have warned for years that lead remains a serious problem in Oakland. Local coverage notes the city estimates roughly 80,000 rental units were built before 1978 and may contain lead paint, which increases the risk of exposure for children. KQED has documented those hazards, while other local reporting has followed the 2019 paint-manufacturer settlement that set aside about $14 million for Oakland remediation work. SFGATE reported on the settlement and the long push to design an equitable program.
Contracting and Capacity Challenges
The city’s meeting packet authorizes waiving some local small-business and apprenticeship procurement requirements so the nonprofit can be brought on quickly, and it specifically allocates workforce dollars to grow the number of firms able to perform lead-safe work, according to the City of Oakland. At the same time, city staff and advocates caution that the pool of certified lead-abatement firms is limited; a housing department staffer told The Oaklandside that building contractor capacity is a central piece of the plan.
The Community & Economic Development Committee has already forwarded the proposal to the full council. If the council signs off, the city expects contracts and application windows to follow in the coming months. Residents who believe they may qualify can submit an interest form through Habitat's Lead Safe Homes page and keep an eye on local updates for community-meeting dates and application details, according to Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley.
