TRENTON , N.J. – New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Susan Bass Levin today announced the award of a $260,000 Lead Intervention for Children-At-Risk (LICAR) Program Grant to Vineland, Cumberland County. Vineland ranks among the top 15 municipalities in the state for incidence of childhood lead poisoning.

“This grant demonstrates our commitment to eradicating all lead hazards from New Jersey homes by the year 2010,” said Commissioner Levin. “In order to accomplish that goal, it is essential that we provide our residents with the resources they need to protect the health of our children.”

The LICAR program provides assistance to property owners of pre-1978 housing to control lead-based paint hazards, repair conditions that cause lead-based paint to deteriorate and to protect or relocate occupants during performance of clean up work. Funding for the program is provided by the Lead Hazard Control Program of the US HUD Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control.

More information on Lead Prevention Programs is available online at www.leadsafenj.org/.