In early June, Isles welcomed Sen. Andrew Zwicker (LD-16) to its Johnson Center for Learning and Policy for a site visit focused on protecting New Jersey's lead remediation network, work that touches hundreds of Trenton families every year, including many right here downtown.
Zwicker is a prime sponsor of Budget Resolution 276, which calls on the Legislature to fully fund the Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund before the FY2027 budget is finalized. The visit gave the senator a firsthand look at how that funding translates into safer homes on Trenton blocks.
Joining the conversation were Kayleigh Lavornia, chief of staff to Sen. Zwicker; Mackenzie Koval, executive director of the Greater Mercer Public Health Partnership; Chris Hellwig, Hamilton Township health officer; Eric Cuperwich, lead inspector for Hamilton Township; Cassie Bolinger, project coordinator, and Heather Sorge, program and community organizing manager, both of Lead-Free New Jersey; and from Isles, CEO Sean Jackson; Andre Thomas, director of the Isles Center for Environmental and Energy Training; William Gethard, construction manager; and Ruth DelPino, policy advocate at the Johnson Center for Learning and Policy.
Why does this matter for Trenton? Lead dust from deteriorating paint accounts for up to 90 percent of elevated blood lead levels in children, and the damage falls hardest on kids under 6. In a city with some of the oldest housing stock in the state, the risk is right under our feet, on our windowsills, and in our doorframes. Statewide, an estimated dozen children are lead-poisoned every single day.
The good news: the solution already exists, and Isles has been part of it for 17 years. More than 45 DCA Lead Safe Agencies operate across every New Jersey county, and in 2025 alone they made more than 1,400 units lead-safe. Isles community health workers test more than 250 homes each year, and income-qualified residents can receive up to $30,000 in free lead hazard control work.
The threat is a funding cliff, not a lack of capacity. When federal ARPA dollars expire at the end of 2026, the state's annual investment in lead remediation will fall back to less than $10 million a year. Without action, New Jersey stands to lose roughly 100 jobs, and 10 to 30 Lead Safe Agencies could shut down or scale back, leaving the communities that need help most without accessible services.
The fix is already on the books. The Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund, established in 2003, draws on a dedicated revenue stream from paint sales tax and inspection fees that generates an estimated $19 million or more per year. Too often, that money has been diverted to General Revenue instead. Fully funding the LHCAF through BR 276 would allow New Jersey to make 1,400 to 1,600 additional homes lead-safe every year, with Trenton residents among the first to benefit.
We're grateful to Sen. Zwicker for taking the time to see this work in person, and for standing with the families it serves.
Trenton residents who want a free lead test for their home can learn more at www.isles.org
Founded in 1981, Isles is a Trenton-based nonprofit that offers interconnected services with a single goal: creating healthy communities and environments necessary for individuals to grow and thrive.