Did you know that lead paint poses a significant health hazard for many residents in San Mateo County? Or that children exposed to lead can suffer serious health issues? Homes built prior to 1950 tend to have significantly higher levels of lead in paint than homes that were built after 1950, and San Mateo County has roughly 50,000 units of pre-1950 housing. Because families with less financial means tend to own older houses, the issue of lead paint is more common for them—and often beyond their means to address.
Thanks to funding from a multi-year contract with San Mateo County, RTP will be assisting the abatement and remediation needs of local homeowners at risk. Funding for this program came from a 2000 lawsuit filed against former lead paint manufacturers. Ten California jurisdictions reached a settlement to develop programs to remediate lead paint from housing. San Mateo County’s portion of the settlement is $11.7 million.
Getting started
Year one of the multi-year contract between San Mateo County and RTP will begin with planning and program development, including homeowner outreach and hiring and awarding subcontracts for lead testing and construction work. Eventually, we expect to address the remediation and abatement needs of up to 20 to 25 homes per year.
Given that RTP is the go-to agency in the Peninsula for home safety and health-related repairs, we look forward to applying our familiarity with local families in need to help make even more homes in San Mateo County lead-free.