Worcester gets $5.5M HUD grant for lead abatement

The City of Worcester announced it has been awarded a $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for its Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes grant program, to be used citywide for qualified property owners.

The award includes $5 million for lead abatement and $500,000 for Healthy Homes funding. City officials said this is the largest award Worcester has ever received for abating lead paint hazards.

City Manager Eric D. Batista said the Lead Abatement Program is designed to help eligible property owners with the cost of remediation. "This is critical work that makes a real health improvement in our residents' lives," Batista said in the release. "If you are the owner of an older property, please reach out to find out if you are eligible. Our goal is to have every eligible unit remediated."

With this grant, the city will address lead hazards in 160 housing units, providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children. Worcester will work with several local partners on the effort, including UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center, Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, Worcester Housing Authority, Worcester Community Action Council, Realtor Association of Central Massachusetts, and Worcester Head Start.

The funding, combined with other local, state, and federal resources, is intended to strengthen existing efforts toward a sustainable, community-wide campaign against childhood lead poisoning and home health conditions.

Source: Town of Worcester announcement, October 20, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement. It was corrected where it differed.