HUD Lead Hazard Reduction Grant: $231M for Lead Safety in Housing (FY 2026)

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has forecasted the FY 2026 Lead Hazard Reduction (LHR) Grant Program, making $231.8 million available for cities, counties, tribes, and qualifying states to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in privately-owned housing. About 30 awards are expected, with individual grants ranging from $1 million to $7.85 million.

The program's purpose is direct: maximize the number of children under six protected from lead poisoning by funding comprehensive lead hazard control in eligible rental and owner-occupied housing. Funding can also support broader Healthy Homes Supplemental activities that address other indoor hazards in the same units.

What the Lead Hazard Reduction Program Funds

The LHR Grant Program supports comprehensive lead-based paint hazard control in eligible privately-owned housing. Funded activities typically include:

• Risk assessments and lead inspections of pre-1978 housing units
• Interim controls and full lead-based paint abatement in occupied homes
• Clearance testing and certification of completed work
• Relocation costs for residents temporarily displaced by hazard control
• Outreach, education, and community engagement focused on lead-safe housing
• Training and certification of workers performing lead-safe work practices
• Program administration, data tracking, and compliance reporting

Funded work targets housing where children under six live or regularly visit, with priority given to units occupied by low- and very low-income families.

Who Can Apply

Eligibility is narrower than many HUD programs. Eligible applicants include:

• Cities and townships
• Counties and parishes
• Other units of local government
• States and federally recognized Native American Tribes that have an EPA-authorized lead abatement certification program in place by the submission deadline
• Special district governments

Multiple entities can apply together as a consortium, but a designated principal (lead) applicant must take responsibility for NOFO compliance. Each member of the consortium must meet HUD's Resolution of Civil Rights Matters threshold.

If your department or agency does not report directly (or through a direct chain of command) to your jurisdiction's chief executive officer (governor, county executive, mayor, etc.), you'll need to cite the statute that establishes it as a part of the government and either include the relevant wording or a publicly accessible link.

Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorships are not eligible to compete for awards under this program.

Three Funding Categories — and Which One Fits You

The maximum award depends on which category an applicant qualifies for:

1. Highest Lead-Based Paint Abatement Needs — Up to $7,000,000

Reserved for applicants (alone or via a consortium) with at least 3,500 pre-1940 occupied rental housing units. These are the jurisdictions with the largest concentrations of older housing stock and the highest lead exposure risk. Applicants requesting this amount who don't meet the criteria are moved into the general pool, and their requested amount is lowered to the maximum for their assigned category.

2. First-Time Grantees or Re-Entering Applicants — Up to $4,000,000

Applicants that have never received a HUD lead hazard control grant, or whose most recent grant ended two or more years before the deadline, can request up to $4 million. This category is designed to bring new jurisdictions into the program.

3. Other Jurisdictions (Active Grantees) — Up to $5,000,000

Applicants whose previous lead hazard control grant ended less than two years ago can request up to $5 million under the Other Jurisdictions category.

Applicants who qualify under the Highest Needs category may choose to apply under Other Jurisdictions instead if that fits their program design better.

Healthy Homes Supplemental Funding

In addition to the core lead funding, LHR applicants can request Healthy Homes Supplemental funding to address other housing-related health hazards in the same units being treated for lead. This recognizes that lead-affected homes often have overlapping issues (mold, asthma triggers, injury hazards, carbon monoxide risks, radon) that can be addressed efficiently during the same intervention.

Supplemental award limits:

• First-time grantees or applicants whose previous grant ended 2+ years ago: Up to $400,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding
• All other applicants: Up to $850,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding

Supplemental funding is in addition to the required lead funding, so a Highest Needs applicant could potentially receive up to $7.85 million combined.

Key Timeline

1. May 12, 2026: Opportunity forecast posted on Grants.gov
2. June 8, 2026: Full NOFO expected to be published
3. August 7, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET: Electronic applications due
4. September 15, 2026: Award announcements expected
5. November 2, 2026: Project start date

The window from full NOFO release to submission is roughly two months, so applicants should begin preparing now using the forecast information.

Tips for a Competitive Application

1. Confirm your category early. Pull pre-1940 occupied rental housing counts from the most recent American Community Survey data. If you're close to the 3,500-unit threshold, consider whether a consortium with a neighboring jurisdiction could push you into the Highest Needs category.
2. Map your housing stock. Strong applications show exactly where pre-1978 housing concentrates, where children under six live, and how those geographies overlap with elevated blood lead levels or HUD-identified priority areas.
3. Build a credible production plan. HUD wants to see how many units you'll clear, on what timeline, with which crews. Include unit production targets, average per-unit cost, and how you'll handle relocation logistics.
4. Partner with health and housing agencies. Co-applications and MOUs with local health departments, code enforcement, weatherization providers, and CHIP-funded lead programs strengthen both the technical approach and community engagement scores.
5. Stack with Healthy Homes Supplemental. If you're going to be inside the unit anyway, adding mold, asthma, and injury hazard remediation under the supplemental funding is far cheaper than a separate program.
6. Verify your EPA authorization (states and tribes). States and tribes must have an EPA-authorized lead abatement certification program in place by the deadline. Don't assume — check status with EPA's Lead Abatement and Renovation Program early.
7. Document your civil rights compliance. Each consortium member must clear the Resolution of Civil Rights Matters threshold. Gather records now to avoid last-minute disqualification.

How to Apply

1. Confirm your jurisdiction's eligibility category (Highest Needs, First-Time/Re-Entering, or Other Jurisdictions)
2. Make sure your SAM.gov registration is active and your UEI number is current
3. Register on Grants.gov if you haven't already and confirm your e-Business POC and AOR roles
4. Monitor Grants.gov for the full NOFO release (forecasted for June 8, 2026)
5. Assemble your project narrative, production plan, budget, and required attachments per the NOFO
6. Submit electronically by August 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET

For questions, contact HUD's Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes at olhchh.nofa@hud.gov or reach out to Damian Slaughter at 202-725-5749.

Related Resources

• HUD Continuum of Care Grant: $4 Billion for Homelessness Programs
• HUD Public Housing Authority Capital Fund Grants
• How to Register on SAM.gov for Federal Grants

How Avila Can Help

Lead hazard reduction applications require detailed housing-stock analysis, multi-year production plans, civil rights documentation, and tight coordination between housing, health, and code-enforcement partners. Avila helps local governments quickly assess eligibility, structure the application narrative, and assemble the supporting documentation HUD expects. Book a demo to see how Avila can streamline your Lead Hazard Reduction application.