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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake mother Ashley Pacheco said she was "terrified" when she realized the entire exterior of her 1906 home tested positive for lead-based paint.
Chipping and flaking paint "everywhere," she said — the porch, the walls, the window sills. Suddenly, her own home was a hazard for her 1-year-old son, Jeffery, and his 3-year-old sister, Emma Rose.
"It gave me anxiety. I couldn't sleep at night," Pacheco said Wednesday, cradling Jeffrey while keeping a watchful eye on her daughter while she played on the front porch.
Pacheco said it only took a quick online search before she stumbled across Salt Lake County's Lead Safe Housing program. Within two months of her application's approval, her home had a new paint job, new windows and was, most importantly, safe.
The cost of repairs? Nearly $10,000. But Pacheco didn't pay a dime.
"We're completely blessed in every way," she said, adding that she feels lucky her children never tested positive for lead toxicity.
Salt Lake County officials are seeking more parents like Pacheco, aiming to improve more than 200 homes for eligible families with a $3.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and other county officials gathered at Pacheco's home Wednesday to draw attention to the program, hoping to address a risk that is not uncommon in homes built before 1978 when lead-based paints were banned from use.
"If you live in a home or apartment that was built before 1978, you may be at risk," McAdams said. "The dangers of lead-based paint is real, and the help is available."
To qualify for the program, the family must live in a home or rental built before 1978, be pregnant or have a child under the age of 6 living in or visiting the home, and have a household income at or below 80 percent of the current area median income, depending on household size.
Costs can range between $5,000 and $20,000, said Annie Dayton, outreach coordinator for the county's lead safe program.
Dr. Claudia Fruin, a pediatrician and medical director for the Utah Department of Health, urged Utah families to pay attention to their homes and whether their children may be at risk.
"Lead toxicity will cause permanent brain damage, attention problems, behavior problems and can also affect growth and (cause) kidney disease," Fruin said. "It's important for people to remember there is really no safe level of lead in a child's system."
Fruin added that there are no symptoms of lead toxicity at low levels, so the only way parents can be sure their children haven't been exposed is by asking their pediatricians to conduct a blood test.
Salt Lake County is one of only 15 applicants nationwide to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said Kelly Jorgenson, the department's Utah field office director.
"Our lead-based paint programs are very competitive, and only the very best applications are funded," Jorgenson said. "(Salt Lake County) received these funds because they have a successful program and a long history of success in filling critical needs in the community."
Jorgenson said "unsafe and unhealthy homes" affect the health of "millions" of Americans, impacting the economy through health care costs and loss of wages or missed school days. He thanked Salt Lake County officials for their work in making "a difference in the lives of families and children."
Families interested in the county's lead safe housing program are encouraged to apply at slco.org.
