BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — There’s still time, Bloomington officials say, for residents to apply for money to remove lead paint from their homes.
The lead paint remediation program applies to properties within the 61701 ZIP code, but the deadline to apply is approaching, City Hall says.
“A lot of our buildings are older, which is great as a lot of character to to our to our community,” said William Bessler, grants manager for Bloomington’s community impact and enhancement department. “But really, the thrust of the program is just to make sure that that folks have safe and affordable housing and that dangerous lead based paint is no longer a hazard.”
Program guidelines include but are not limited to:
- Residence in 61701 ZIP code
- Property built prior to 1978
- Income eligibility based on household size. (80% Area Median Income (AMI) per the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
- Priority application intake given for applications with households that have pregnant women or children with high lead blood levels
The grant, which started in 2023, will stop accepting applications in June, city officials say. Since the program got started in earnest last year, there have been about 10 homes in the program.
Community members wishing to apply for this program must first submit a Housing Rehabilitation Pre-Application. Once that’s done, city staff will review it and then reach out if a person is eligible. Then a resident or landlord would have to fill out a full application.
This program completes lead-based paint assessments and abatement in houses with lead-based paint hazards typically such as siding, doors, windows, soffits and/or painting. Additional support is provided under our Healthy Homes Program funding.
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Catherine Dunlap, Grant Specialist, at (309) 434-2232 or cdunlap@cityblm.org.
