A Newark nonprofit is connecting residents to a no-cost lead testing program and the window to get tested is open now.
Lead poisoning remains one of the most preventable yet persistent public health threats facing New Jersey families, and too often it goes undetected. In Newark alone, the number of children under six tested for lead dropped at least 14% between 2018 and 2022, even as confirmed hazardous homes went without remediation. Now, a Newark-based nonprofit is working to close that gap by connecting eligible households to a state-funded program that makes lead testing completely free.
Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA), a resident-led nonprofit serving the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Newark since 2019, has partnered with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs to bring the state’s Lead Remediation and Abatement Program (LRAP) directly to Newark residents. The program covers the cost of lead testing for eligible households, with no fees and a process CHCA describes as quick and confidential.
Lead is invisible. You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it. The only way to know if lead is present is to test. That invisibility is precisely what makes early testing so important.
Lead-based paint was commonly used in homes built before 1978, and as paint ages, it can chip or create dust that children can ingest or inhale without anyone realizing it. According to public health guidance, even low-level exposure can affect brain development, learning, and behavior in young children and those effects that can be lasting if not caught early.
Children under the age of six are considered most at risk, as their developing bodies absorb lead more readily than adults. Pregnant women are also encouraged to be tested, as lead exposure can affect fetal development before a child is even born.
Who should consider getting tested?
- Families with children under the age of 6
- Pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant
- Households living in homes built before 1978
- Renters and homeowners in areas with historically elevated lead levels
“We’ve always said that housing justice and health justice are the same conversation,” said a concerned Clinton Hill resident. “Lead testing is not a separate initiative. It is the same fight, carried into a different room of the same house.”
CHCA is also building out the infrastructure for lead remediation work. The organization is currently seeking qualified lead hazard control and remediation contractors to join a statewide “Qualified Contractor Pool” to serve the program through 2026. Minority- and women-owned businesses are specifically encouraged to apply.
For families, the message from organizers is straightforward: testing costs nothing, takes little time, and could make a significant difference for a child’s long-term health. Early detection gives families information and options that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
To learn more or schedule lead testing for your household:
Contact Pam Patterson, Housing Program Manager
Clinton Hill Community Action
📞 973-718-0401
For contractor inquiries:
housingdevelopment@clintonhillaction.org
or visit in person: 231–251 Seymour Ave., Newark, NJ
