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Millions will be spent this year on rehab and lead abatement.

Communities throughout the State of Michigan are facing significant challenges finding contractors to make homes lead safe for kids. In Calhoun County over $2.5 million a year is allocated to lead remediation, resulting in roughly $2 million in construction contracts.

Capable, qualified contractors are one of our most important assets in meeting these challenges.

How long will these programs last?

The City and its partners, Community Action and Neighborhoods Inc. of Battle Creek, plan to manage lead remediation work for many years.

Remediation is currently funded by two grants and are part of a long-term collaborative strategy to reduce the harmful impacts of lead on children. One grant is Medicaid funded for $7.5 million over five years, and the other is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for an addtional $3.5 million over 3 years.

Also, the lead paint hazard isn’t going away any time soon. The federal government banned the use of lead in residential paint products in 1978; however, the primary sources of lead exposure for children are still deteriorating lead-based paint and contaminated dust or residential soil.

Where will the work likely occur?

Both lead control programs are available county-wide. The City of Battle Creek administers the programs within the Battle Creek city limits. Community Action and Neighborhoods Inc. administer the programs throughout the rest of the county.

Program funds are targeted at helping children with lead poisoning and at-risk children first, so much of the funding will be spent on projects in the blue areas indicated on the map. According to a recent study, 42% of all children who tested positive for lead poisoning between 2011 and 2015 lived within these target areas — which make up 1.2% of the land area of Calhoun County.