The city of Greensboro will receive a $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development to help get rid of lead paint in low-income homes.Brett Byerly, executive director of the Greensboro Housing Coalition, said collaborating with the city of Greensboro can help prevent further poisoning.
“It can cause lifelong problems, learning disabilities,” Byerly said. “It can make somebody who might have the potential to be a doctor barely be able to get by in society.”
Approximately 120 families are on the waiting list to have lead paint removed from their homes.
“The thing with lead paint is it's one of those primary prevention things,” Bylery said. “The only way to guarantee that someone doesn't get poisoned by lead is to not have them exposed to lead.”
Byerly says the goal is to make sure the homes are dry, have no pests, and are from from lead paint and mold.