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The city of Marshalltown is preparing for another four years of making homes safer for families. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded Marshalltown a $4.3 million Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction grant and a $700,000 Healthy Homes grant.
Jackie Pippin, the lead program manager for Marshalltown's Housing & Community Development department, said she was excited to receive the news of the grant.
"I look forward to the next four years and the opportunity to showcase this," she said. "I am so thrilled to be able to do this for families. It is so rewarding when people look at their home, crying, and they know it's in better shape and safer for their children."
The money will give about 100 low-income Marshalltown families living in older homes the chance to remove poisonous lead-based paint. Pippin said families are not limited to houses.
"We are slated to do 100 units in a four-year period," she said. "It could be a house, an apartment, a duplex, which would be two units. However, each unit needs to be income-eligible. We don't know what the income limit is yet, but it will be based on the median household income and how many people are living in the home."
One requirement is owner-occupied units must have a child younger than the age of 6, Pippin said. She said that also includes homes in which the child spends a lot of time, such as a grandparent's home where the child is frequently babysat. For rental units, Pippin said eligibility is based off of the tenant's income. It is not necessary for children to live in rental units, but she added those particular homes will be given preference.
"For rentals, the landlord must provide a 10 percent match," she said.
The lead-removal program has essentially been running in Marshalltown for 20 years, because of the large amount of homes with lead.
"Anything built before 1978 could potentially have lead," Pippin said. "The majority of the homes we have already done were built in 1950 or earlier."
Plus, the natural disasters Marshalltown has experienced in the last five years only added to the problem.
"The tornado and the derecho stirred up a lot of lead-based dust," she said. "When that paint deteriorates, it is a hazard. If it remains intact, it is better. We have definitely seen poisoning in children. The lead has a sweet taste to it, and children will gnaw on window sills. The majority of the paint is found on windows, doorways and other areas where there is friction."
If a family is unsure if there is lead-based paint in their home, Pippin urged them to call her office, 641-754-6583, and talk to her.
"I would rather they call, because if they have it, we don't want to wait until their children are poisoned," she said. "Going through the process is important to know whether or not they have it. I don't want them to wonder. I would rather they check and see if they qualify."
The process begins with the submission of an application to Pippin's office. After verification of income, insurance and utilities is completed, the application is placed on a waiting list, she said. Then, Pippin said an inspector is sent to the home who will create a report of potential hazards. The report is then sent to the State Historic Preservation Office.
"All projects have to be approved by them," she said. "We need to find out if the home is historic or has the potential to be. Between the inspection and letting it out for bid, it could take six to eight weeks."
If the unit is a house with lead-based paint in numerous locations, Pippin said the family will be given a stipend for relocation while work is done to remove the hazard. If the paint is located in one section of the unit that is not a bathroom or kitchen, Pippin said the family can remain in the home while the work is performed.
The units with lead-based paint are also eligible for Healthy Homes work. Pippin said that could include the addition of potential railings, carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms.
Pippin does not know when families can begin to submit applications as negotiations are ongoing with HUD. She suggested keeping an eye on the city website for information.
IOWA HUD GRANTS
Marshalltown was one of five Iowa cities to receive the grants. The other towns and the grants received were:
• Cerro Gordo, $1.8 million Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction and $312,220 Healthy Homes;
• Council Bluffs, $1.6 million Lead-Based;
• Sioux City, $4.4 million Lead-Based and $700,000 Healthy Homes;
• Muscatine, $2.5 million Lead-Based and $400,000 Healthy Homes.
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Contact Lana Bradstream
at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or
lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.