Board approves application to HUD lead-hazard grant covering Lawrence and nearby counties

Lawrence County commissioners on Aug. 5 approved county social-services staff to apply for a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) lead-hazard reduction grant that would expand the county’s existing lead-hazard program. County Social Services staff told the board the program has operated for about 20 years and that this solicitation would operate as a continuation and expansion of current work. The proposed grant would be administered locally by Lawrence County Social Services and would include partner counties such as Mercer, Butler, Indiana, Clearfield, Crawford and Delaware County (outside the Philadelphia region), with some partner jurisdictions using pass-through contracts and local contractors. Holly Wright (Lawrence County Social Services) told commissioners the grant aims to perform lab work and lead abatement and that the agency hopes to complete “about that 20 units across the grant,” with Lawrence County and Mercer County expected to receive the bulk of the work. She said the program uses federal HUD funds, supplemented by CDBG and other local match dollars, and that the department recruits and contracts local remediation contractors each year. Commissioners voted to authorize staff to proceed with the application and program administration. No county match amount or grant award was finalized during the meeting; staff said local Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and other resources may be used as matching or program augmentation if the grant is awarded. Ending: The board authorized the application; if funded, county staff and partner jurisdictions will coordinate contractor recruitment, laboratory testing and remediation work under the HUD grant terms.