City of Dubuque Awarded Nearly $5.2 Million in Federal Funding to Continue Lead Paint Removal

Matching funding from Community Development Block Grants and other local sources will also contribute nearly $700,000 in additional funding.

The City's Lead and Healthy Homes Program provides up to $30,000 to income-qualified residents for lead mediation. These residents can also receive up to an additional $5,000 to address other household hazards. More information is available at www.cityofdubuque.org/HealthyHomes or by calling the Housing and Community Development Department at 563.589.1724.

The program aims to improve some of Dubuque's most distressed housing, particularly for disadvantaged families. By leveraging this federal funding along with the collaboration of community partners, the City seeks to create a more energy-efficient, safe, and healthy community for local children.

The City of Dubuque's efforts to remove lead-based paint from homes within the city date back to 1997. In that time, more than 1,300 homes and apartments have been made lead-safe. However, the presence of lead-based hazards in homes remains a significant problem in Dubuque.

According to the City's Housing and Community Development Department, Dubuque faces unique challenges associated with lead-based paint removal. The city is the oldest in Iowa, and second-oldest west of the Mississippi River. A high percentage of National Register eligible housing in the urban center increases the cost associated with lead hazard control.