Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grant Program | FR 6900 N 31

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6900 N 31

The Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grant Program is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) discretionary funding opportunity designed to help governments rebuild or strengthen their ability to run effective lead hazard control programs. The central idea is capacity building: the grant is meant to help jurisdictions put the people, systems, partnerships, and procedures in place so they can consistently identify and reduce lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately owned housing, including both rental properties and owner-occupied homes. This funding is especially aimed at places that either have never received a direct HUD lead hazard control grant or that previously received HUD funding but now have a clear need to rebuild because their local infrastructure has weakened, often due to staff turnover, loss of institutional knowledge, or other disruptions that make it difficult to run a comprehensive lead hazard program. Jurisdictions that are current grantees with an active period of performance are not eligible to apply.

The program emphasizes building a full local framework for lead hazard work, not just performing one-off projects. Applicants are expected to develop the operational backbone needed for a successful lead hazard control program, including the ability to understand where childhood lead poisoning risk is concentrated, particularly among children under age six in the targeted community or communities. The grant also prioritizes building the capacity to address lead hazards safely and effectively during lead hazard control activities and during common housing activities like renovation, remodeling, and routine maintenance. A key expectation is the integration of lead-safe work practices so that repairs and upgrades do not accidentally worsen exposure by creating lead-contaminated dust.

HUD also highlights the importance of clear procedures and guidelines that make the program functional and accessible. This includes setting up program intake systems for potential participants and creating a practical process to ensure that housing units made lead-safe are affirmatively marketed to families with young children. In other words, the program is not only about making homes safer; it is also about creating a pipeline that connects the families most at risk with the safer units, including outreach and advertising approaches that help eligible families find and move into lead-safe housing.

Another major focus is organizational readiness. Applicants are encouraged to hire qualified staff with strong management and financial skills so the program can be implemented quickly and responsibly once the grant is awarded. Collaboration is treated as essential, particularly coordination between health and housing departments so that data, targeting strategies, and interventions reinforce each other. The opportunity also encourages applicants to form and formalize partnerships or subgrant relationships with local organizations that can extend the program's reach, such as faith-based organizations, health departments, community coalitions, and other community-based groups that are well positioned to support outreach, education, referrals, and service delivery.

The grant pushes communities to weave lead hazard control into the broader housing and public health landscape rather than treating it as a stand-alone effort. HUD specifically calls out integrating lead hazard reduction into existing housing repair and improvement programs such as rehabilitation initiatives, local housing ordinances and property maintenance enforcement, weatherization services, housing-related health hazard interventions, and energy conservation activities. Strong data is also a priority: applicants are expected to obtain high-quality information that helps target resources where the need is greatest, which can include using health and housing data to focus on high-risk neighborhoods, older housing stock, and populations with elevated exposure risk.

Long-term sustainability is built into the program's purpose. Beyond launching or rebuilding capacity, applicants are expected to develop systems that will help sustain a lead hazard control program after the capacity-building grant ends. This can include institutionalizing policies, staffing models, partnership structures, financing strategies, referral pathways, and data-sharing practices that allow the work to continue and expand.

Eligibility is limited to governmental entities: states (including Washington, DC and Puerto Rico), federally recognized Native American Tribes that have an EPA-authorized lead abatement certification program, and local governments such as cities, counties/parishes, and other units of local government that meet the program's funding history and need requirements. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorships are not eligible. If an applying department or agency does not report directly, or through a direct chain of command, to the jurisdiction's chief executive (such as a governor, mayor, or county executive), the application must cite the statute(s) that establish the department as part of the government and provide the relevant language or a freely accessible public web link.

From the published opportunity details, the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement under CFDA 14.912 (Housing). The opportunity number is FR 6900 N 31. HUD expects to make about 5 awards, with an award ceiling of $2,500,000. The original application closing date is 2026-02-26.

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development in the housing sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 14.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-01-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-02-26. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others.

Apply for FR 6900 N 31

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