Services
Healthy Homes
What we do and why it matters
We provide home assessment and remediation services to tackle environmental hazards and energy inefficiencies that lead to poor health, high utility bills, and unsafe living conditions.
These services are essential because older homes often contain risks such as deteriorating lead-based paint, which can lead to developmental and cognitive issues primarily in children. There is also new research connecting even past lead exposure to negative health outcomes to pregnant mothers and their developing baby. Indeed, Isles has led efforts to rewrite state laws requiring lead testing in rental properties before new tenants move in as well testing for lead during pregnancy.
In addition, inefficient heating systems and poor insulation can worsen respiratory conditions like asthma, contribute to moisture and mold problems, and places a financial strain on households. This also increases vulnerability to extreme temperatures, putting added stress on families—especially those with young children or older adults.
Hazards and Energy-efficiency Assessments / Remediation
Striving for healthy, safe, and energy-efficient homes
Isles provides free lead testing and comprehensive home assessments to identify health and safety issues. We provide services to remove these hazards and make homes safe and healthy. Older homes are commonly afflicted with outdated and highly inefficient heating systems and poor or non-existent insulation and air sealing. This results in homes that generate high energy bills, lead to a variety of health problems and make homes dangerously uncomfortable during extreme weather.
Apply below for home lead testing and home weatherization services.
Free home lead testing and remediation
Free home weatherization services
For qualifying Mercer County residents
What to expect from the Healthy Homes programs
Free lead testing and healthy home assessment
Isles offers free lead testing and healthy home assessments to qualifying Mercer County residents. During your assessment, we test for lead and other health hazards in your home, including mold, radon, trip-and-fall hazards, and pests. You will also receive a free Healthy Homes kit with items to help keep your home free of pests and chemical toxins.
You may qualify for the lead assistance program if your property has the presence of lead-based paint hazards, your household income falls within low-to-moderate income limits, and/or you live in a 1 to 10-unit residential home built before 1978 that is structurally sound.
Apply for free home lead testing:
Questions about lead services? Contact Carter Patterson by email at [email protected] or by phone at 609-341-4747.
Free lead remediation and abatement
If we find lead hazards in your home and you qualify, we can remove those hazards at no cost to you through NJ’s Lead Remediation and Abatement Program. Remediations may include window or door replacement and treatment of other surfaces with lead-based paint.
If you own an apartment building and have received a Notice of Violation from the health department, we may also be able to provide abatement services at no cost if your renters are income qualified. Visit the NJ DCA Portal to submit an application or contact us for more information.
Energy efficiency and weatherization
Isles’ weatherization service helps low-income families in Mercer County make their homes more energy efficient. By improving insulation, sealing air leaks, and repairing or replacing heating systems, we work to reduce energy costs and create safer, more comfortable living environments.
Questions about weatherization? Contact Regina Pickett by email at [email protected].
Housing counseling
For most families, housing costs are their largest monthly expense, with impact far beyond shelter. Housing finances directly affect health, education, safety, and overall quality of life. As a HUD-Certified housing counseling agency, Isles offers first-time homebuyer, foreclosure prevention, and rental counseling services through both group education and one-on-one counseling sessions.
Key statistics
6,000
The estimated number of children in NJ who will be identified with elevated blood lead levels in 2026.
50%
The share of Trenton schoolchildren estimated to have blood lead levels high enough to adversely affect learning and behavior.
7x
How much more likely children with lead in their blood are to become involved with the juvenile justice system.
$32,000
The cost to taxpayers per lead-poisoned child each year for special education, criminal justice, and health care.
Lead doesn’t just affect individual children. It has left a decades-long dark legacy for families and communities. While lead-contaminated water receives most of the public’s attention regarding the sources of lead poisoning, the reality is that ~80% of lead-affected children are poisoned by dust from deteriorating lead paint. Even at very low blood lead levels, damage to a child’s developing brain will result in some level of learning, memory, behavioral, and health problems — often severe. Lead dramatically lowers IQ, math and reading scores, and this damage is permanent.
The unhealthy homes problem extends beyond lead contamination. Nationwide, nearly six million families live in housing with conditions rivaling those found in developing countries, including broken heating and plumbing, holes in walls and windows, insect and rodent infestations, and leaking roofs. In northern New Jersey alone, 56,000 housing units are severely distressed, putting families at increased risk of lead poisoning, asthma, physical injuries, and other serious health conditions.
A Healthy Homes success story
Genevieve Grant’s story: A home transformed with care
Genevieve Grant first connected with Isles through Elena, a member of our First-Time Homebuyers program. She was living in a home on Miller Street when a lead assessment revealed the presence of lead paint. Concerned for the safety of her grandchildren, who often visited, she was determined to create a healthier environment. During her journey with Isles, she learned something that deeply surprised her —lead has a sweet taste. It was a revelation that underscored the hidden dangers lurking in her home.
What stood out most to Miss Genevieve was the unwavering support and kindness of the Isles team. She felt truly cared for, knowing that there were no strings attached — just a genuine commitment to making her home safer. Isles provided her with a brand-new door, sealed gaps around her windows and baseboards, and ensured that her home was properly weatherized.
Continue reading the story
The transformation was immediate. She described her home as warmer, brighter, and more beautiful than ever, inspiring her to decorate and take even more pride in her space. When asked what she would say to other families facing similar concerns, her message was clear: “Definitely contact Isles. Go get it done!” For Miss Genevieve, the biggest takeaway was not just the physical improvements but the kindness and dedication of the people who made it happen. Miss Genevieve’s story is a testament to the power of a safe and healthy home — and to the difference that compassion and commitment can make in a community.
Why our Healthy Homes services matter
Lead-safe and healthy homes are essential to Isles’ broader vision for a community where everyone can grow and thrive. Americans spend about 70% of their time in their homes, making housing conditions central to health and wellbeing. In lower-income and older communities, housing problems too often become health problems.
Isles believes that a significant improvement in child and family health requires a comprehensive approach focused on the health risks linked to housing. By training contractors, retrofitting homes, advocating for policy change, and educating the public, we pursue an integrated strategy to create a lead-safe Trenton and support lasting transformation statewide. Through this work, we challenge and change the systems that create inequity in the first place.
Get started with the Healthy Homes programs
Free lead and healthy home assessments are available to Mercer County residents. If your home was built before 1978, don’t wait, apply now for a free healthy home assessment.
If you’d like to support our work or would like to partner with us, please reach out.