Ventura County Healthy Homes program outlines lead-inspection, remediation eligibility and services

Myra Tamayo, a representative of Ventura County Public Health's Healthy Homes program, told the INCO on June 4 that the county’s Healthy Homes program provides inspections, lead risk assessments and, where lead-based paint hazards are found, funding for remediation by certified contractors.

Tamayo said the program focuses on residences built before 1978 and prioritizes households with children under 6 or pregnant people, or where such children visit more than 20 percent of the time. “This program is a lead hazard remediation program, and it’s dedicated to the prevention and remediation of lead-based paint hazards,” she said.

The presentation explained two related programs: Healthy Homes, which performs risk assessments and funds remediation, and the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, a surveillance program for children already identified with elevated blood lead levels. Tamayo said children identified with elevated blood lead levels receive a comprehensive environmental investigation that examines paint, soil, water, toys and cookware.

Tamayo described likely inspection costs and eligibility rules: inspections can run roughly $750 to $2,000 depending on home size; the primary eligibility cutoff is the age of the dwelling (built before 1978). Income eligibility follows federal and state limits and may be verified case by case. “If it’s not [built before] 1978, then it’s automatically disqualified,” she said; she added that other funding sources sometimes cover inspections when an applicant does not meet income thresholds.

She said the program receives federal, state and private funding and that current Healthy Homes funding runs through June 2026. Tamayo advised residents to contact the program’s tips and complaints line if they observe unsafe work practices (for example, dry sanding of old paint) and to call for a certified inspection rather than attempting untrained remediation. “There’s a lead worker certification… sometimes people working on their own home don’t know how to remediate it appropriately and set up the right containment,” she said.

Neighborhood council members asked questions about scope and related hazards. Chris Bissonnette (Blackstock South) noted that housing built after 1978 may still contain other hazards such as asbestos; Tamayo said current Healthy Homes funding specifically supports lead remediation and suggested seeking other programs or HUD for broader hazardous-materials funding. Noemi Corpus (Cypress) raised concerns about contractors parking debris or vehicles with contaminated materials in neighborhoods; Tamayo recommended calling the program line and offered training for local workers when funding permits.

Tamayo said the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program averages about 80 cases a month in Ventura County, and elevated results are reported to the California Department of Public Health for case assignment and surveillance. Residents who learn of children with elevated blood lead levels can expect a public-health investigation regardless of the home’s age.

The presentation included a before-and-after example of an Oxnard home treated by the program; Tamayo said in that case, both paint and soil testing found lead contamination and the program remediated both hazards.

Tamayo provided flyers and contact information and said staff will share the presentation by email to the INCO membership.

Questions remained about exact income limits and program renewal; Tamayo said specific income ceilings change annually and can be provided by program staff on request.

Overall, the county described Healthy Homes as a targeted, time-limited lead-abatement resource for older housing stock and an outreach point for households with children or pregnant residents.