Recently, SERCAP’s Housing Team, through its Lead Hazard Reduction (LHR) Program, assisted a Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) Household in the City of Lynchburg, VA, to address critical lead paint remediation needs in the home. The structure was desperately in need of Lead Paint Remediation throughout the first floor, and in the second-floor bedrooms and bathroom. However, due the clients’ Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) status, they were unable to afford the repairs without causing serious financial hardship. Fortunately, they reached out to SERCAP for assistance, and the agency was able to provide both Technical Assistance (TA) and Financial Assistance (FA) for the project.
Funded by the Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development, SERCAP’s LHR Program provides eligible households with TA and FA to reduce lead paint hazards in their home. The Program focuses on LMI households with either a child under the age of six (6) or a pregnant woman living in, or spending a significant amount of time, in the home.
Following the inspections, including a Healthy Homes Inspection, it was determined that additional repairs to the home were needed in order to ensure that the home would be warm, safe, dry, and lead-safe. Construction for the project was awarded to Waco, Inc., a certified lead-abatement contractor, for the full $61,635.00 project cost. The project was recently completed, and the rehabilitation work, included: lead paint stabilization and abatement throughout the home, electrical upgrades in the bathrooms and kitchen, installation of new GFCI outlets, replacement of 12 windows, structural repairs, and more. Through this program, SERCAP’s Housing Team was able to provide critical rehabilitation to the single-family home, reducing lead hazards in the home and improving the clients’ environmental health and safety.
Without SERCAP’s full slate of Programs and Services, both low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals and rural communities would be forced to go without such necessities as safe and affordable housing, clean drinking water, up-to-date water/wastewater infrastructure solutions, indoor plumbing, community development and infrastructure needs, and more. It is important to remember that even in the US in the 21st Century; there are those who do not have reliable access to clean, safe drinking water, environmentally sound septic facilities, and affordable housing. In order to help SERCAP continue providing assistance to both the individuals and communities in need, please consider making a gift to SERCAP’s Annual Fund! Give Today: https://sercap.org/give-now
*SERCAP’s Housing Program is primarily made possible through the Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development’s (DHCD) Indoor Plumbing & Rehabilitation Flex (IPR-Flex) Program, through County Funds (Budget Appropriations) from counties across the Commonwealth of Virginia, and through Program Income Funds from the IPR-Flex Program. The Lead Hazard Reduction (LHR) Program is made possible by funding from DHCD, a grantee of HUD for this program. Additionally, all of SERCAP’s programs in Virginia are leveraged by support from the Virginia Budget Appropriation, granted by the Virginia General Assembly and administered by DHCD.