Dave Hicks and his family are enjoying new siding and a new porch on their Lake Orion home, and they said it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Michigan’s lead abatement program.
Hicks, an Oxford native, said he first learned about the program, which has been around since 1996, from a co-worker in Detroit.
‘He was getting help with his house,? Hicks said. ‘He had lead paint.?
Hicks investigated the program in Detroit, and contacted a reporter who had written an article about the program in Oakland County.
‘They came out and tested our house, and found out my son Shawn, a 3-year-old, had trace amounts of lead,? said Hicks. ‘Our porch was really in bad shape.?
Carin Reck, of the state’s lead abatement program, said they worked on their first home nine years ago, and currently work on the program through the health departments of Genesee, Ingham and Muskegon counties.
‘Oakland County was one of the counties we funded at one time,? she said. ‘The last house we did through that program in Oakland County was in September 2004.?
Reck said the Hicks? home was their first in Oakland County since then.
‘Including their house, we’ve done 89 homes in Oakland County,? she said. ‘We’ve done over 1,100 homes in the state.?
Reck said the state receives funds for the lead abatement program through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
‘The program targets low to moderate-income families,? she said, ‘For children with elevated blood-lead levels.?
Reck said part of the program’s criteria is there are children under 6 years of age living in the home, or occupying the home on a full-time basis, such as staying with a grandparent.
‘They would fill out an application,? she said. ‘If they meet the criteria, we come do a lead inspection risk assessment.?
The assessment detects lead-based paint, and where the hazards are in the home, such as windows and doors.
‘Sometimes we test soil,? said Reck. ‘If the applicant still qualifies, we have a contractor do a walk-through to get a bid.?
The state has about a list of about 30 contractors, meeting the appropriate qualifications, who they regularly work with. The average cost of a lead abatement for one home is $9,000.
‘Inspections are done at no cost to the family,? Reck said. ‘If they were having it done privately, it would cost them $300-500.?
The Hicks family; including Dave’s wife Adrienne, and their other son, six-month-old Aaron; have lived in their Orion home for nearly three years on Flint Street near Lapeer Road.
‘From what I understand the house was built in 1930, and it was the mayor’s house,? said Hicks.
It took Hicks over a year to get through the lead abatement application process, at which time Aaron hadn’t even been born yet.
‘We just stayed off the front porch,? he said. ‘But (the program staff) have been awesome, they know I want to protect my kids.?
According to Hicks, there are different ways that homeowners can pay into the program, and he did his house through a grant.
‘So it’s being paid for,? he said. ‘There is also a loan program, which we’ll use to replace our windows. We’ll be doing that in the next six months, at four percent, which is a really good deal.?
For now, Hicks? home has new siding and a new porch.
‘We were good candidates,? he said, adding that he and his wife both want to stay in the area, his wife having grown up in Lake Orion.
Hicks currently works with folk singer Todd Snider in Nashville, Tennesee, and does a lot of traveling back and forth from Michigan.
‘I wouldn’t have been able to do this work myself,? he said. ‘We’re not in that position.?
Hicks calls the lead abatement program a ‘helping boost? for homeowners in his situation.
‘We plan to stay in Lake Orion,? he said. ‘We love this house.?
For more information on Michigan’s lead abatement program, and lead poisoning, visit www.michigan.gov/leadsafe, or call 1-866-691-5323.