Sharon's housing rehabilitation program has undergone a rehabilitation of its own because of new federal guidelines concerning lead-based paint.

The city has set a $5,000 limit on housing rehabilitation loans for qualified families, said Rosette Fisher, deputy director of the Community Development Department. Borrowers have up to 20 years to repay the interest-free loans, she said.

Under the old program, qualified residents could borrow up to $7,000 that would be forgiven after five years; anything more than $7,000 was a low-interest loan that had to be repaid within 20 years, Mrs. Fisher said.

The federal office of Housing and Urban Development now requires cities with housing-rehabilitation programs to conduct lead-based paint testing on the houses before work begins, she said.

Lead-based paint in children's blood can impair their mental and intellectual development, hurt their kidneys, central nervous system or blood system, and at very high levels, can bring on a coma or death.

If the work being funded by a rehabilitation loan costs more than $5,000, the whole house must be tested, Mrs. Fisher said.

Getting lead-based paint out of an entire house can be very expensive, and with a 2002 rehabilitation budget of $300,000, the city would be able to assist only a few homeowners, Mrs. Fisher said.

The city was left with two options: modify the program or scrap it altogether.

City leaders decided something was better than nothing, Mrs. Fisher said.

The program will most likely serve low-income families who need to make small repairs, Mrs. Fisher said.

"It's going to really decrease the amount of work (the city can do). We figure what we'll be doing mostly will be furnaces, electrical, plumbing, hot water tanks, and, if we get good bids, maybe roofs."

If lead-based paint abatement is needed in a small area, residents can qualify for an additional loan of up to $10,000 that would be forgiven after five years if the borrower is still living in the house, Mrs. Fisher said. The money could only be used for the abatement work, and borrowers must take the loan in order to get the repair money, she said.

The city averages about 40 housing rehabilitations a year, and it's too soon to tell how the changes will affect this year's numbers. Twenty people are on the waiting list, and Mrs. Fisher said all are still interested in the program.

As with the old program, exceptions are made for residents who are disabled or who have an emergency that poses a danger to their health, Mrs. Fisher said.

A lead-based paint ordinance has been in effect in Greenville for about seven years, said Dr. George Reeher, a pediatrician and former chairman of the borough's board of health. Children on medical assistance are required to have a blood test to check their lead levels during routine checkups, he said.

If the test shows a child has a high lead level in his or her blood, the homeowner where that child lives has 30 days to submit a corrective action plan to the borough, Reeher said.